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By 1898, Marie’s ambitions reached the prestigious Dupont Circle neighborhood in Washington, D.C., where she and her husband purchased the former residence of the Curtis Heller family. This prime corner on Massachusetts Avenue and Q Street was destined to become her grand monumental home, later called Empire Row.
However, Marie harbored an unusual fear rooted in superstition: a prophecy warned her that sleeping under a new roof would bring death within a year. To safeguard herself, she insisted that the construction incorporate part of the original old structure, preserving some of the foundation and walls of her previous home. This blend of old and new provided her with a sense of security amid her architectural ambitions.