Crestwood

Crestwood owes its creation to the mills that were directly responsible for the success of the area. In 1794, millwright Isaac Peirce began to purchase his eventual 1,200 acre property. History credits Peirce with having built a mill on the Argyle, Cowall and Lorn parcel that eventually became Crestwood. The Argyle mill was located in the present-day glade below Boulder Bridge along Beach Drive.

Crestwood, an exclusively residential alcove of D.C.’s Gold Coast, is one of the first neighborhoods to have featured single family homes with lawns. Bordered on three sides by Rock Creek Park, Crestwood initially attracted settlers with water. Rock Creek, as it is called now, turned mill wheels, provided water for forts, crops, recreation and commerce.

Crestwood has easy access to the city’s more popular neighborhoods but remains pleasantly isolated from the bustle. Today’s Crestwood is an upscale residential area of elegant lawns, stately Colonial houses and quiet streets just to the north of Columbia Heights.