When Chris O’Flinn decided to retire to D.C. from Montgomery County, Maryland, in 2012, a priority was finding a home near the city arts scene. So when he spotted photos of prominent sopranos Renée ...

A century-old Kalorama mansion most recently owned by legendary D.C. diplomat, lobbyist and hostess Esther Coopersmith has sold for $9.35 million, roughly half of what it first listed for in June.

So when he spotted photos of prominent sopranos Renée Fleming and Deborah Voight on a fireplace mantel while touring this Kalorama Heights townhouse, it felt like a “magical introduction” to ...