Hello Stephenh,
This charming building has had quite a notable history! This is what I found:
?Woodley is a Federal style house built in 1801, the year Thomas
Jefferson assumed the Presidency. In those days, the land was cleared
between the Woodley site and the Potomac River beyond which meant that
Woodley residents had a panoramic view of the incipient capital in the
low lands below.?
http://www.woodleysociety.org/
?Woodley Lodge, an English manor house in Barkshire was built in 1777
by James Whebble. There is strong evidence that Phillip Barton Key
visited the house while he was studying law in London and later used
both the name parts of the design when he built his own Woodley
overlooking the new Federal capital.?
http://www.woodleysociety.org/TimelineMainFrame.htm
?Believe it or not, Woodley Park is celebrating its bicentennial! In
1803, Philip Barton Key, the uncle of Francis Scott Key, built his
beautiful mansion in the woodlands between Rock Creek and Klingle
valleys and called it ?Woodley.? Two hundred years later, the mansion
still stands in the heart of the Maret School campus, along with the
community that sprang up around Woodley and took its name for its
own.?
Perhaps writing to the email address at the beginning of the paragraph
on this site will net you some additional information.
http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/2003/03-04-13.htm
?The site of Woodley and its environs are the hunting grounds of the
Nacotchtank Indians whose village is on the far side of the Anacostia
River.?
1941 Pearl Harbor is attacked. The President's first call is to Henry
Stimson who was having lunch at Woodley. The United States enters
World War II.
1946 Henry Stimson gives Woodley to Philips Academy, and it ceases to
be a private home.
1950 Maret School purchases 7 and 3/4 acres of the Woodley property
including the house.
http://www.woodleysociety.org/TimelineMainFrame.htm
?Woodley, because of its location and the extraordinary procession
of prominent families who have lived here, reflects more aspects of
history than entire towns. In fact, it is the contention of Maret?s
Woodley Society* that, with the exception of the White House, Woodley
is the most historically significant house in America. There are
houses that are far more architecturally prepossessing, far more
beautiful, and far more interesting in terms of their contents;
however, no other private house in this country can boast at least two
Presidents, a Midnight Judge, two Secretaries of War, a Secretary of
the Treasury, a Secretary of State, a German baron, a Senator, an
admiral, and General George Patton, ?Old Blood and Guts? himself.?
http://www.woodleysociety.org/Templates/Woodley2.dwt
?Woodley, a Federal style manor house, was built in 1801 by Philip
Barton Key, the only former Loyalist to achieve national prominence
and win a seat in Congress. At various times in the 19th Century,
Woodley served as the summer White House, and in the 20th, it was home
to a number of prominent Americans including Geoge Patton and Henry
Stimson. In 1950 it was bought and incorporated into Maret School.?
http://dchousemuseums.org/dc.htm
Additionally, try writing to the Woodley Park Community Association
for further information. It appears to be a very active association:
"In case you missed the Woodley Park Bicentennial House Tour in
2003, its not too late to purchase a set of 10 beautiful note cards
featuring drawings of the nine homes that were presented on the tour,
as well as the Woodley Mansion (Maret School). Each set of note cards
is available for a donation of $5.00. Please make your check payable
to "Woodley Park Community Association" in the amount of $5.00 per set
of 10 and mail it to: WPCA, PO Box 4852, Washington, DC 20008.
http://www.woodleypark.org/#wpbc
?The land was originally part of several adjoining Maryland land
grants acquired by the Beall family beginning in 1703. In 1792, the
more than 1200 acres amassed by the Bealls was sold out of the family
and divided into smaller tracts, where several large estates
developed. Philip Barton Key purchased a 250-acre tract containing
agricultural lands, forest, and stream valleys.
Around 1801, he built a large dwelling, calling it Woodley, which
today stands at 3000 Cathedral Avenue and is home to the Maret School.
Key sited the house on a hill, which afforded a commanding view of the
buildings under construction in the nascent capital, the port at
Georgetown, and the expanse of the Potomac River. Key?s nephew,
Francis Scott Key, is said to have spent considerable time at the
estate. In later years, Woodley was rented out and served as the
summer residence of Presidents Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, and
James Buchanan, who took refuge from the heat of the city at Woodley?s
higher elevation.?
This site provides plenty of history of the entire area!
http://planning.dc.gov/planning/lib/planning/preservation/brochures/woodley_park_hd.pdf
Other sites:
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/counties/dc/longterm/wwlive/wwwood.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/04/AR2005120400888_2.html
Page 9
http://www.intowner.com/fr/pdf/2003April.pdf
I hope this has helped. I grew up in the DC area, and enjoyed
researching this answer a great deal!
If any part of my answer is unclear, please request an Answer
Clarification, and allow me to respond, before rating this answer. I
will be glad to assist you further on this answer, (If possible)
before you rate. Good luck!
Sincerely, Crabcakes
Search Terms
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Woodley Mansion + Maret school + Washington DC
Woodley Mansion + Washington DC + history |
