Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Jul 25, 2025

Surrounded by a Marshy Forest, This Fortress-Like Home

Surrounded by a Marshy Forest, This Fortress-Like Home

The current owner spent two years updating the glassy interior to create a timeless, modernist look.

Recently listed in Williamsburg, Virginia, a modernist-style home is a stark contrast to other homes in the area-although the secluded location mostly hides it from view. The concrete block structure, which is sited on nearly ten wooded acres overlooking a small waterway and marshland, was designed by W.G. Clark, a renowned local architect and professor at the University of Virginia School of Architecture. After purchasing the property in 2018, the home's current owner set out to renovate the interior in a way that both honors Clark's vision, as well as the ideas of modernist icons such as Pierre Chareau and Le Corbusier.



Built in 2005, this modernist concrete block home just outside of Williamsburg, Virginia, was recently listed for sale. The property's mostly wooded, waterfront location is about two-and-a-half hours by car from Washington, D.C., and about an hour from Richmond, Virginia.



The current homeowner recently completed an extensive interior renovation that updated finishes while retaining many of Clark's original details-including a dramatic 17-foot-tall room divider that separates the kitchen and dining area, as well as expansive glass-block windows.

The owner, Mark Segal, initially found the home after searching for a quieter place to spend time away from Los Angeles. "I am a huge fan of European modernism from the 1930s and was shocked to find a contemporary home that so strongly reflected the designs I loved," he says. "The interior was in desperate need of updating, but the design was perfect, and the hidden, waterfront lot provided the privacy I was after."

The two-story home's 17-inch-thick concrete walls, constructed with an air gap for insulation, create an imposing exterior facade that is balanced by expansive glass block windows that flood the interior with natural light and provide views of the scenic property.

Throughout the renovation, Segal updated interior finishes while retaining many of Clark's custom features, including built-in cabinetry and workspaces. "The beauty of the materials mixing with the light throughout day create a feeling of warmth and, in my opinion, make it a home," he adds.



The double-height living and dining area basks in natural light thanks to custom Hope’s steel windows, partially inset with 12-inch Corning glass blocks. Segal updated features such as the massive room divider, which was previously finished in a lighter, natural-colored stain.



The dining area looks out onto views of the creek and marshland across the water.



A look back at the living area shows massive windows that frame views of the forest. The space also features custom Pierre Chareau alabaster lighting and a wood-burning fireplace.

The spacious, 3,000-square-foot residence comes with two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, one of which features Clark's interpretation of a modernist vanity made with repurposed steel girders. A mezzanine level overlooking the dining area could potentially serve as a third bedroom.

The home is currently for sale by the owner with an asking price of $1,700,000, and most of the furnishings-including designs by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Jean-Michel Frank, Pierre Chareau, and Marcel Breuer-are also available for purchase as a separate transaction. Keep scrolling to see more.



The kitchen features Clark's original cabinetry and stainless steel countertops, as well as updated appliances and a walk-in pantry.



The space is brightly illuminated by several large windows, including one running nearly the full length of the countertop



One of the home's two bedrooms features a 16-foot-long solid mahogany work station that is original to the home. A glass-block window provides natural light and views the backyard.



A look at one of the home's two full bathrooms-this one featuring Dutch ceramic tile, Clark's custom vanity design supported by steel girders, and a reproduction of a 1930s bathtub that was custom cast in England.



In another part of the home, a library/den is also warmly illuminated by a full-height, glass-block window.



Outside, a blue stone patio connects the main house to a screened pavilion and storage area that was also designed by W.G. Clark in 2010. The surrounding 9.98-acre lot includes a large lawn, a fenced area for pets or gardening, and large sections of natural forest.



The property also includes 600 feet of water frontage along Gordon’s Creek, a brackish waterway that connects to the larger James River. Although sited on a waterfront lot, the property is not within the FEMA 100-year floodplain and thus, flood insurance is not mandatory.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
×