Dumbarton Oaks, 3101 R Street, Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC

Significance: No other property combines mansion, collections, and gardens into such an aesthetically compelling early to mid-twentieth century vision of estate living in Georgetown. Starting with the Bliss's occupancy and continuing under Harvard's ownership, Dumbarton Oaks has been a site of internationally significant cultural and political events. In 1938, Nadia Boulanger conducted, in the music room, the world premier of Igor Stravinsky's Dumbarton Oaks Concerto, commissioned by Mrs. Bliss, and nine years later Stravinsky conducted his concerto at Dumbarton Oaks. Stravinsky and Boulanger were two of this century's most important musicians. In 1944, the planning sessions that led to the creation of the United Nations were held in the Dumbarton Oaks music room. Two of this century's most important architectural firms, McKim, Mead and White and Philip Johnson, have designed major spaces at Dumbarton Oaks. Furthermore, the present Georgian Revival house incorporates a Federal Period house dating from approximately 1800. In addition, several locally prominent and one nationally prominent man associated with the house in the nineteenth century.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N672
Survey number: HABS DC-825
Building/structure dates: ca. 1800- ca. 1801 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1921-1925 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1940 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1963 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 67000025