"House of Cards" fans got to know this 140-year-old Victorian townhouse, which is now headed for auction, from the very first scene of the hit Netflix drama.
Actor Kevin Spacey comes bursting out of the red brick home in the Bolton Hill neighborhood of Baltimore, in the pall of darkness to put an injured dog out of its misery without hesitation. The house then features in the next several seasons as the Washington, D.C. residence of Congressman Frank Underwood (Mr. Spacey) and his wife Claire (Robin Wright).
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Now series devotees can get a virtual glimpse of the four-story house dating back to 1880 as it prepares to go to auction next month with an opening bid of $500,000.
Four bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms and six fireplaces, some with original Tennessee marble mantles, occupy 4,600 square feet. The home has 12-foot ceilings and a large kitchen that leads out onto a rear patio, according to the listing with Alex Cooper Auctioneers, Inc.
Images of the interiors show bright splashes of red on the walls and ceilings—quite unlike the muted, neutral palette of the Underwoods’ fictional home in "House of Cards."
There’s also a rooftop deck and a two-car garage.
A Pasadena mansion that starred in film & TV—including a famous fight on 'Dynasty'—is on the market for $28M https://t.co/v3U7xux6us pic.twitter.com/aSJM1h5d0D
— Mansion Global (@MansionGlobal) May 21, 2017
When it wasn’t being filmed, the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home played the more demanding role of private residence to a family who devoted years to remodeling the historic rowhouse.
Jeffrey and Norma Epstein bought the neglected house in 1995 for $85,000, according to property records, and spent the next several years converting the three-unit apartment building back into a grand single-family house.
The Epsteins transformed the entire third floor to the master suite, including a private office and bathroom, the Baltimore Sun reported in an 1998 profile of the property.
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After more than 20 years, the couple is now looking to leave Baltimore, said auction agent Jared Block.
"They are moving to South Carolina," Mr. Block said.
The auction will take place at 1 p.m. on July 27 at the residence on Park Avenue.