Dumbarton Oaks Museum

Sitting at the highest point in the historic Georgetown neighborhood, Dumbarton Oaks is a must see location in Washington, D.C. This 53-acre estate is the legacy of Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred, philanthropists and collectors of art.

In 1920, after a long and careful search, the couple purchased an old-fashioned Federal-style country house then standing in rather neglected grounds. In 1929 they added a Music Room, and some years later, built a wing to accommodate their famous Byzantine art collection. Another wing was added to hold Mr. Bliss’s collection of Pre-Columbian art.

In 1921, the Blisses hired renowned landscape gardener Beatrix Farrand to create an English garden to surround the whole property. Working in close collaboration for almost thirty years, Mildred Bliss and Beatrix Farrand had planned every garden detail, each terrace, bench, urn, and border, and eventually produced a beautiful oasis within the city.

In 1940, the upper sixteen acres were transferred to Harvard University to establish a research institute for Byzantine studies, Pre-Columbian studies, and studies in the history of gardens and landscape architecture. Around the same time, there was also a Garden Library added to accommodate Mrs. Bliss’s collection of rare books on the history of gardens.

Today, the entire estate is run by the Trustees of Harvard University. Its art collection has been on a long term loan to the National Gallery of Art.