A spacious historic industrial loft with a mezzanine

1737 JOHNSON AVENUE NW • UNIT D • WASHINGTON, DC

A Washington loft with more than a century of stories.

From horse stable to automobile garage, artists’ studio to one-of-a-kind residence, 1737 Johnson Avenue has been reinvented for more than a century.

Today, Unit D pairs that remarkable history with nearly 30-foot ceilings, three levels of living, expansive outdoor spaces, and sweeping views across Washington.

Explore the story

THE STORY

Before it was a home, it was a place where things were made.

ARCHIVAL IMAGE PLACEHOLDER
1737 JOHNSON AVENUE • 1970

Rockne Krebs and Sam Gilliam’s studio at 1737 Johnson Avenue, 1970.

Built in 1906 as a private horse stable, 1737 Johnson Avenue quickly adapted to a changing Washington. By 1912, horses had given way to automobiles and the building was operating as Sellman’s Garage. For decades afterward, it housed automobile sales, repair, storage and other industrial uses.

Its most extraordinary chapter began in the late 1960s. Artists Sam Gilliam and Rockne Krebs established a studio at 1737 Johnson Avenue during an important period in both of their careers.

Gilliam was beginning to push painting beyond the traditional stretched canvas, developing the monumental draped works for which he became internationally known. Krebs was pioneering the use of light and lasers as sculptural material.

The building’s upper floor, later incorporated into Unit D, was part of this working studio space.

PORTRAIT PLACEHOLDER
SAM GILLIAM + ROCKNE KREBS

“About ’69 or about that time we had the studio on Johnson Avenue.”

Sam Gilliam, 1989 oral history interview, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

BUILT TO WORK

The machinery never entirely left.

By 1912, 1737 Johnson Avenue had become Sellman’s Garage, storing and servicing automobiles as cars replaced the horses for which the building had originally been constructed.

1912

Sellman’s Garage operated at 1737–1739 Johnson Avenue.

1938

Martin Motor Company advertised automobile repair at 1737 Johnson Avenue.

1950s–1960s

Automotive, tire-service, warehouse and related industrial uses continued.

Today

The enormous elevator gear and pulley assembly survives inside Unit D as a physical remnant of that working history.

ARCHIVAL MATERIAL
SELLMAN’S GARAGE

1912 — An advertisement in Washington’s Evening Star listed “Sellman’s Garage” at 1737 and 1739 Johnson Avenue.

The preserved elevator gear and pulley assembly inside Unit D

Today — The preserved elevator gear remains one of Unit D’s defining architectural features.

A piece of that machinery still lives inside Unit D.

The enormous elevator gears remain inside Unit D. The elevator itself is gone, but the massive gear and pulley assembly survives as a piece of industrial sculpture within the living room.

More than a decorative reference to the building’s past, it is the actual machinery that once helped the building function.

FROM STUDIO TO HOME

The building’s next act was residential.

In the mid-1980s, 1737 Johnson Avenue began another transformation. Developers converted the former industrial building into five unconventional loft residences known as the Dupont-Soho Condominium.

The conversion embraced rather than erased the building’s past. Wide-plank floors, exposed masonry, industrial proportions and even pieces of the old elevator machinery became part of the architecture.

A 1986 Washington Post feature described the newly created homes as luxury lofts unlike almost anything then available in Washington.

1986

The former garage was converted into five residential loft condominiums.

ARCHIVAL PROPERTY IMAGE
UNIT D • EARLIER CONFIGURATION

Unit D before its later vertical expansion.

CURRENT INTERIOR IMAGE
THREE-LEVEL VOLUME

Today, the residence rises across three interconnected levels.

Then Unit D went vertical.

Roughly two decades later, Unit D underwent a dramatic architectural expansion. The roof above the original loft was removed and approximately one-and-a-half new stories were added.

The transformation created the upper den, a new primary-bedroom level, two outdoor decks, and the soaring open volume that now defines the center of the residence.

The original loft remained visually connected to the new levels, producing a home that feels simultaneously industrial, open and unexpectedly vertical.

Nearly 30 feet

of open vertical space rises through the main living area.

3 levels — of living space

2 outdoor decks — including the upper roof terrace

UNIT D TODAY

A loft that lives vertically.

Unit D unfolds across three interconnected levels, with a dramatic central volume rising nearly 30 feet through the heart of the home.

Historic brick, timber and the preserved elevator machinery give the residence its unmistakable industrial character. Later architectural interventions added privacy, climate control and flexibility without losing the openness that makes the loft extraordinary.

The result is a home that can feel expansive and communal one moment, then quiet and private the next.

Three levels. Nearly 30 feet of vertical space. Two outdoor terraces. One remarkable piece of Washington history.

MAIN LIVING SPACE / THREE-LEVEL VOLUME

A full-width placeholder for a dramatic current photograph showing the height, stairs, living area and interconnected levels of Unit D.

KITCHEN

A custom-renovated kitchen with premium appliances, highly efficient cabinetry, and deep pull-out storage.

PRIMARY SUITE

The enclosed upper-level primary bedroom offers privacy, precise climate control, strong eastern morning light, and a large walk-in closet.

SECOND BEDROOM / NURSERY

Black-framed glass doors allow this room to remain visually connected to the loft, while automated shades across both the glass enclosure and exterior windows can create nearly complete privacy. The current owners used the room as a nursery.

SECOND BEDROOM / NURSERY

DEN / OFFICE

An elevated workspace with a unique visual connection across the residence.

TERRACE / ROOF DECK

OUTDOOR SPACES

A private terrace known for spectacular sunsets, plus an upper roof deck with broad views across Washington.

THE EVOLUTION OF UNIT D

A loft shaped over time.

The character of Unit D comes from more than one renovation. Successive owners have preserved the building’s industrial history while making the residence increasingly comfortable, private and functional.

1986

Industrial building converted to residential lofts

1737 Johnson Avenue was transformed into five loft condominiums. Original materials and industrial elements, including the elevator machinery, were deliberately retained as part of the architecture.

c. 2006

UPWARD EXPANSION

Unit D expands upward

The roof above the original loft was removed and approximately one-and-a-half stories were added, creating the upper den, primary-bedroom level, two outdoor decks and the dramatic vertical volume at the center of the home.

2018

Kitchen + whole-home upgrades

The kitchen was comprehensively renovated with custom cabinetry, premium appliances and specialized pull-out storage. Commercial-grade Miele laundry appliances were added. Automated window shades were installed throughout the residence.

2021

A more private primary suite

The primary bedroom was fully enclosed, significantly improving privacy and climate control, and a substantial new walk-in closet was created.

2021

A flexible second bedroom

Black-framed glass doors were installed around the second bedroom, followed by automated privacy shades that allow the room to transition between open loft and private bedroom.

FLEXIBLE BEDROOM

2025

Second bathroom rebuilt

The second-bedroom bathroom was completely gutted and renovated with new fixtures and finishes.

2026

GREAT WINDOW

The great window renewed

The massive main window bringing light into the soaring central volume was fully replaced.

The goal through every chapter has been the same: preserve what makes the loft extraordinary while making it better to live in.

OUTDOOR LIVING

Some of our favorite rooms have no ceiling.

Unit D has two distinct outdoor spaces, each with a different relationship to the city. The lower terrace became our outdoor living room. It is a place for dinner, drinks, plants, quiet mornings and some extraordinary sunsets. Full-sun plants thrive here, while mornings tend to be more shaded.

Above it, the shared roof deck opens to broad views across Washington. We used it for Fourth of July gatherings, drinks after evenings on 14th Street, and rooftop yoga on cooler days.

SUNSET TERRACE

“I meditated to this view almost every day.”

CITY VIEW

From the upper deck, the skyline includes familiar Washington landmarks including the Washington Monument, National Cathedral, Basilica, Freemasons temple and Shaw University clock tower.

ROOF DECK / 360 VIEW

1737 JOHNSON AVENUE NW, UNIT D

A singular home in the heart of Washington.

Approx. 2000 sq. ft.

2 bedrooms

2 bathrooms

3 levels

Nearly 30-foot central volume

2 outdoor spaces

Indoor parking

1737 Johnson Avenue has lived many lives: stable, garage, artists’ studio, industrial building and, ultimately, home. Unit D carries pieces of each chapter forward.

To schedule a private showing or request additional information, contact:

Chad Ernst

Compass

[PHONE]

[EMAIL]

1737 Johnson Avenue NW • Unit D • Washington, DC

Historical information compiled from archival records, published sources and prior-owner documentation. Certain historical images may be reproduced only with permission of their respective rights holders.