Warner Manor 10231 Carroll Place

Warner Circle sits in the heart of Kensington. This stately home was originally owned by Brainard Warner who built this Victorian mansion in 1892 as a retreat for his family from Washington DC. The house is built in a Queen Anne Style – note its massive front porch and its asymmetrical façade. The carriage house in the back was built in 1914.

Warner made his wealth as a real estate developer in DC known for his grand buildings in the bustling city. Warner purchased a large portion of what is now Kensington to the south of the railroad tracks and subdivided it. He named the subdivision Kensington Park after the famed Kensington section of London, known for its majestic gardens.

Warner’s estate sits on a raised knoll of 4.5 acres. Nature factors into the design of the home itself with bays and turrets projecting out into the trees. The estate became the model for other Victorian style homes in the neighborhood as homes were built with large plots and plenty of green space. In fact the town’s curving streets were intentionally designed to contrast to DC’s rigid grid system.

Warner lived in Kensington until 1918 and during the time the estate was a center for social events including grand parties, entertaining congressmen, senators and even President William Howard Taft once came to a party where lights festooned the trees all around the property.

After Warner passed away his home changed hands a few times. In the 1960s it became a nursing home. In 2005 the Montgomery County Parks Department purchased the home and returned its exterior back to its original condition. The land has once again become a hub for town hosting events such as fairs and concerts and offering respite for citizens to meander in its gardens.

Throughout the town you can spot Brainard Warner’s influences. He donated funds and land for the Noyes library, the Montgomery Press, and the Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church.