Roberta Flack’s Former Alexandria Home Hits the Market for $1.89 Million
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Some houses have stories.
Others seem to hold entire eras.
A striking mid-century modern home tucked into Alexandria’s wooded Hollin Hills neighborhood is drawing fresh attention after hitting the market for $1.89 million — not only for its architecture, but because it once belonged to Grammy-winning singer Roberta Flack.
The listing was first reported by Northern Virginia Magazine, but the deeper story behind the house reveals something even more compelling: this wasn’t simply a celebrity retreat. It was home during the years when Flack’s career — and voice — were reshaping American music.
According to earlier reporting about the property, Flack lived in the home during the 1970s, around the same period when she became one of the biggest recording artists in the world with The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly with His Song.
That timing matters.
Those songs didn’t just top charts. They changed the emotional tone of popular music.
Jazz musician Les McCann, who famously discovered Flack performing at Mr. Henry’s on Capitol Hill, once described hearing her sing this way:
“Her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known.”
That emotional intimacy became Flack’s trademark — music that felt less performed than quietly confided.
And somehow, that makes this Hollin Hills home feel perfectly suited to her spirit.
The four-bedroom residence at 1927 Marthas Road was designed in 1951 by legendary architect Charles Goodman, whose glass-heavy modernist homes transformed Hollin Hills into one of America’s most admired mid-century neighborhoods. Goodman believed homes should fit naturally into the landscape rather than dominate it, and this property still reflects that philosophy at every turn.
Set on a beautifully landscaped half-acre, the home is surrounded by mature Japanese maples and layered gardens that create what the listing describes as a “quiet, immersive garden setting.” Inside, a dramatic two-story entry and expansive walls of glass flood the home with natural light while blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors.
The kitchen has been updated with quartz surfaces and stainless steel appliances while still preserving the home’s architectural soul. The primary suite features vaulted ceilings and a spa-like bath.
Downstairs, a striking two-story brick fireplace anchors flexible living spaces that include additional bedrooms, a full bath, and a private office.
But perhaps the most fascinating room in the house is the warm wood-paneled second living room that once served as Roberta Flack’s recording studio — a creative space still filled with character decades later.
Outside, thoughtful hardscaping, multiple terraces, and a pool transform the backyard into what feels more like a secluded retreat than suburban Northern Virginia.
But the Alexandria connection runs even deeper than the house itself.
Long before Grammy Awards and international fame, Roberta Flack was simply a gifted young musician growing up in Arlington.
Born in North Carolina, she moved to the Washington area as a child with her family. Her father, Laron Flack, worked as a draftsman for the Veterans Administration and played jazz piano on the side. Her mother, Irene Flack, was a church organist, choir director, music teacher, and later a baker at Wakefield High School in Arlington.
Music was woven into everyday life.
Before concert halls and television appearances, Flack practiced hymns in church pews and immersed herself in classical piano studies. At just 15 years old, she earned a full scholarship to Howard University — one of the youngest students ever admitted there.
Later, she taught music in D.C.-area schools while performing nights and weekends in Washington clubs.
“I wanted to be successful, a serious all-around musician,” Flack once said. “I didn’t want to be limited.”
That determination eventually carried her onto the international stage — but Northern Virginia and Washington always remained part of her story.
The Hollin Hills home itself also carries another remarkable cultural footnote: it reportedly belonged at one point to poet, novelist, and musician Gil Scott-Heron, adding another extraordinary chapter to the property’s artistic legacy.
And then there’s perhaps the most charming detail of all.
In a recent online discussion about the house, one former neighborhood child recalled trick-or-treating there during Flack’s ownership in the 1970s.
Roberta Flack, the commenter remembered, handed out full-size Hershey bars on Halloween.
It’s a small memory. But maybe that’s why it lingers.
Because beneath the awards, fame, and music history, this was also simply a home in Alexandria — tucked among the trees, filled with music, and lived in by someone whose voice touched millions.
The property is currently listed for $1.89 million by the Poole Braun Team with Long & Foster Real Estate. Readers interested in viewing the full listing, photographs, and additional property details can search the address — 1927 Marthas Road, Alexandria — through Long & Foster or major real estate platforms including Zillow and Redfin.
