October 27, 2016 | In the News
In-House Observatory, Historic Telescope and More in This $2.5 Million Annapolis Estate
ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 27, 2016) – Alert to stargazers: A $2.5 million Annapolis waterfront home has just hit the market on Crab Creek and the South River, which features an observatory with a historic telescope that was used to assist NASA with lunar landings. Travis Gray of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Annapolis Church office has listed the property at 923 Childs Point Road.
The telescope dates back to 1960 and was constructed for a NASA contractor during the space program’s infancy. A classified project, the telescope was used to measure the moon’s surface density by shooting a laser beam to the moon. The reportings were used to determine if a safe lunar landing was possible for United States astronauts. In the 1970s, the mission was completed and the laser beam was dismantled.
In 1996, the telescope was purchased by Robert L. Lyles, Jr., M.D., Ph. D., an amateur astronomer, physician, legislative committee chairman and scientist. Dr. Lyles had the telescope moved to his home in Annapolis for his own personal study. The telescope was adjusted and positioned in the observatory, where it rests today. Protected by a dome with shutter roof, the observatory is accessible from inside the home by a step ladder.
“The home has an incredible part of history within it that’s very intriguing,” said Gray. “To have a piece of what helped make a manned lunar landing possible in your own gorgeous waterfront home would be an amazing opportunity.”
The custom estate offers luxury details to match the caliber of its historical piece. Additional property information includes:
• Four bedrooms, four bathrooms and one partial bathroom
• Over one-and-a-quarter acres of property with 5,671 square feet of living space
• Private beach and deep-water dock with space for three to five boats
• Waterfront decks on both upper levels, pool house with endless indoor pool and a wine tasting room
• Custom mahogany front door, fir window and door trim, Brazilian cherry hardwood floors throughout, two-story oak timber frame family room with two-sided fireplace
• Spacious kitchen with stainless steel appliances, breakfast bar, breakfast nook and granite counters
• Office with wrap-around windows and views of the river
• Master ensuite with vaulted ceilings, balcony, sitting area, oversized windows, soaking tub and a walk-in closet
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Mid-Atlantic is a leading residential real estate brokerage company with 30 sales and resort rental locations and more than 2,250 sales associates serving the communities of Greater Baltimore, Greater Washington, D.C. including Northern Virginia, and the Maryland and Delaware Beaches. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is a subsidiary of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company. Worldwide, the Coldwell Banker network includes 3,000 offices with nearly 85,000 sales associates. Every day, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage properties are exposed to 16 million buyers on more than 725 high-traffic websites. For more information or to view local listings, visit ColdwellBankerHomes.com. To learn more about a career in real estate or affiliating with Coldwell Banker, visit CareersCB.com.