Donated to Harvard University in 1940, Dumbarton Oaks is home to a massive mansion, lush gardens, an extensive library and research center, and a conference center that was used for the primary international meetings that led to the formation of the United Nations.
Queen Anne granted the land to Colonel Ninian Beall in 1702. Later, William Hammond Dorsey built the main section of the house in 1801. In the mid-nineteenth century, it was added upon and named The Oaks. It wasn’t until the Bliss’s own the property in the 1900’s that it acquired the title Dumbarton Oaks in 1933. Together they created a large and very impressive music room, a series of terraced gardens, four service court buildings, and a guest house.
They also needed a place to display and store their art collection and books of reference. 8,000 books were placed in the new Research Library and Collection, and two large pavilions were constructed to hold their Byzantine artworks.
The mansion and grounds have a little bit of something for every kind of visitor. From the excellent architecture to the relics that adorn it to the beautiful gardens, it is a one stop see all.