Dumbarton House Transcending Crises by KELLY PARAS, NSCDA Digital Communications Specialist
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the Great Depression. The Dames doubled down on their dedication to historic preservation, fully restoring the house and opening it as a museum in 1932 with First Lady Lou Henry Hoover in attendance.
Dumbarton House, our NSCDA National Headquarters and Museum, was built in 1799 just 23 years after the founding of our nation, and it has stood witness to every national crisis and triumph since. The Dumbarton House archives reveal that even before the NSCDA took ownership of the property, it had a history of being a safe space and a place of service.
The outbreak of WWII altered our nation forever. In January 1942, the NSCDA offered the ground floor of Dumbarton House to the American Red Cross as a service unit for the organization. Then NSCDA National President Mrs. Low remarked, “Although old houses are valuable, they are not as valuable as the boys in the Service whom we wish to help, many of them our own sons.” This collaboration with the Red Cross has served as a model going forward, as Dumbarton House has been the site of blood drives and support events for the organization in the years since.
hroughout history, nearly every generation of Americans has faced years of war, devastating economic turns and public health emergencies. We are living in a unique time – a global pandemic on a scale difficult to fathom. We are acutely aware that this historic time will provide a reference point for generations to come. In our awareness of our historical present, we look to the past for inspiration.
During the War of 1812, our nation’s new capital city was threatened by an invading British Army. First Lady Dolley Madison waited until the last possible moment to leave the White House as she gathered precious documents and objects, including a copy of the Declaration of Independence and Charles Wilson Peale’s iconic portrait of George Washington. Dolley Madison became our nation’s first and most heroic preservationist, and when she finally left the White House grounds, she fled to the safety of Dumbarton House. With the city and White House ablaze, the brick structure of our National Headquarters shielded some of America’s most beloved national treasures from destruction. Just before America was gripped by the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Dames rallied and looked inward to strengthen their mission. Former NSCDA National President Clarinda Pendleton Lamar led a search for a National Headquarters for the organization. She found Dumbarton House, then called Bellevue, on the heights of Georgetown; while the property was not for sale, she was determined to acquire it. She wrote to the owner and so compellingly explained the reason that the NSCDA wished to buy it that the owner agreed to sell. The Dames purchased the property independent of their husbands (a rare feat for the time). The property could not be purchased without the NSCDA being incorporated, which required a formal act of Congress (which they obtained). The home was valued at $225,000, yet Mrs. Lamar convinced the owner to sell it for just $185,000, and the Dames raised all of the money to pay off that mortgage within two years – during
As COVID-19 spread across America and the world, Dumbarton House did not hesitate to respond. With centuries of history and a heavy sense of duty behind it, the site quickly coordinated with other historic properties and museums to gather Personal Protective Equipment urgently needed by local healthcare professionals. As Washington, D.C. came to a standstill, Dumbarton House was determined to remain an asset to the community and opened its grounds as a safe refuge for neighbors and residents seeking outdoor space. Dumbarton House transitioned to distance education and online learning, providing resources for families across the country who unexpectedly began homeschooling their children. The common thread across this entire history of crises is a measured, thoughtful approach to providing aid and assistance while staying true to the mission of the organization. How fitting that even before the NSCDA was involved with Dumbarton House, a legacy of community aid was already in place to serve as inspiration. Dames Discovery | Fall 2020
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