| 1703 |
The
Maryland Assembly grants a Scottish immigrant named Ninian
Beall a tract of 795 acres for his services "upon all
incursions and disturbances of neighboring Indians."
Beall renames the property "Rock of Dumbarton,"
after the distinctive geologic feature near Glasgow in his
native Scotland.
|
 |
|
| 1717 |
Ninian
Beall dies and the property stays in the family, until... |
|
|
| 1796 |
Thomas
Beall, grandson of Ninian, sells the lot to Peter Casenave,
Mayor of Georgetown. After two months, Peter Casenave sells
to General Uriah Forrest at a 20% increase in price. |
|
|
| 1797
|
General
Forrest sells to Isaac Pollack for five times what he paid
for it. |
|
|
| 1798
|
Isaac
Pollack sells to Samuel Jackson for less than half what it
cost him. |
|
|
| 1799 |
Samuel
Jackson mortgages the property for more than twice what he
paid for it. |
|
|
| 1800 |
A
large "two-story brick house with a passage through the
center, four rooms on a floor and good cellars" is built
on the property the year our nation's capitol is moved from
Philadelphia to Washington. |
|
|
| 1804 |
Samuel
Jackson declares bankruptcy and the property is purchased
by Gabriel Duvall. Shortly thereafter Joseph Nourse purchases
the property for $8,581.67 as a home for his family, and renames
the property Cedar Hill. |
|
|
| 1813 |
Joseph
Nourse sells the property to Charles Carroll, a cousin of
the signer of the Declaration of Independence. Mr. Carroll
renames the house Belle Vue, after his former plantation in
Hagerstown, Maryland. |
|
|
| 1814 |
Charles
Carroll escorts Dolley Madison from the burning White House
to Belle Vue, on August 24, 1814, as the British invasion
approaches. |
|
|
| 1820
to 1841 |
Charles
Carroll vacates Belle Vue and rents it to a succession of
people. |
|
|
| 1841 |
Charles
Carroll sells the house. |
|
|
| 1915 |
The City
of Washington extends Que Street. The house is moved about
100 feet north to accommodate the extension. |
|
|
| 1928 |
The
National Society of The Colonial Dames of America purchases
the property. |
|
|
| 1932 |
The
property opens as Dumbarton House, a Federal period historic
house museum and headquarters of The National Society, following
restoration under the direction of local architect Horace
Peaslee and architectural historian Fiske Kimball. Affording
a unique glimpse of period life in the nation's capital, the
property remains open to the public to the present day. |
|
|
| 1991 |
To
celebrate its centennial, The National Society renovates Dumbarton
House under the direction of architect Martin Rosenblum and
landscape architect Meade Palmer. The renovation restores features
identified over the past six decades, adds modern climate control
to the house, makes it compliant with contemporary building
codes, and enlarges the premises, adding contemporary meeting
spaces and outdoor terraces and gardens that facilitate a variety
of educational outreach programs and civic, private, and organizational
events. |
|
|
