Welcome to Dumbarton House, a 1799 Federal period historic house museum in Georgetown, DC.
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Dumbarton House serves as the headquarters of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America. The mission of Dumbarton House, headquarters of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America, is to support the organization’s Corporate Societies and their members, to maintain its historic museum property, and to enhance the cultural life of Washington, D.C. Through the interpretation of
its historic site and collections, Dumbarton House promotes the understanding of historic preservation and of the early history of our nation, so that the lives and ideals of early Americans inspire present and future generations.
With fall just around the corner, we’re beginning to change some of the props in our period rooms. Gone are the watercolors of flowers in the Breakfast Room—they’ve been replaced with this lovely fall foliage, to keep you going until the leaves in our area begin to turn. Come visit Dumbarton House this weekend, and keep an eye out for the other seasonal updates we’ve made!
Celebrate National Yoga Awareness Month with Dumbarton House & VETOGA by joining us this Saturday 9/14 at 9:30am for a class taught by DC Dame Stephanie Green!
Please bring your own mats & Beginners Welcome! No RSVP Required!
Donations are encouraged - all proceeds to benefit Veterans Yoga Charity, VETOGA, who provide yoga, meditation, and healing arts to military, veterans, and their families, and communities.
Native to Spain, Portugal, and parts of Africa, these hardy perennials bring pale to mid-blue blooms to cool, shady woodlands from April to May. Perfect for naturalizing and adding serene charm to your garden. 🌿
Escape the hustle and bustle and discover serenity amidst the beauty of Dumbarton House’s garden. Join us on Saturday 8/10 from 9:30am to 10:15am for our enchanting Serenity Yoga program. Class led by Marines veteran Michael Stickley with .
Please bring your own mats & Beginners Welcome.
No RSVP Required!
Donations encouraged - all proceeds to benefit Veterans Yoga Charity, VETOGA, who provide yoga, meditation, and healing arts to military, veterans, their families, and communities. Donate to VETOGA through the link in our bio!
Due to the forecasted weather for the DC Area, we have canceled tonight's screening of Love & Friendship (2016). This event was previously rescheduled; the original screening date was 7/10. Your safety and comfort are our top priorities, and unfortunately, the weather forecast has required us to cancel the event.
We understand the inconvenience and disappointment this may cause; we sincerely apologize. We will be issuing refunds for the event. Please allow us some time to process these refunds, which will be completed by the end of this week.
: Admire the majestic Japanese Cedar at Dumbarton House! With its symmetrical form and vibrant needles, this tree adds elegance to our historic garden. 🌿
: Brighten your spring with Forsythia! Native to eastern Asia, this hardy shrub dazzles with vibrant yellow flowers on bare branches. Perfect for tough spots, it adds a cheerful touch to any garden. 🌿
🎉 Tomorrow is the opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympics! So, we thought we’d play a little game: Which group of USA women Olympians would you invite to come to the Jane Austen Film Festival with you? 🏅
Another week, another thunderstorm! Tonight's viewing of Pride and Prejudice has been rescheduled to August 21st, due to the forecasted thunderstorms. ⛈
: Discover the charming Lady Banks rose in Dumbarton House’s North Garden! With nearly thornless stems and cheerful yellow blooms, this vigorous climber adds timeless elegance. Planted in memory of Louise Trotter Wooten, who was a member of the NSCDA in North Carolina, they bloom beautifully each May. 🌼
It's & today we're featuring this beautiful bride, with the most gorgeous dress, standing in (our humble opinion) quite a picturesque location. Swipe left to see more photos of the wonderful Glick-Pederson wedding from June.
We regret to inform you that we must reschedule our JAFF film to tomorrow due to the expected extreme heat and thunderstorms. The new viewing date for Sense and Sensibility will be August 14th. We hope for cooler and clearer skies next week!
: Meet the elegant Clematis! With 200 species found across North America, Europe, and Asia, these stunning flowers from China and Japan bloom in late spring and early summer. Perfect for sun or shade, Clematis adds timeless beauty to any garden. 🌿
Due to the extreme heat and upcoming storms, we've moved tonight’s Love and Friendship viewing to August 7th. Stay cool and see you next week!
It's & today we're featuring this beautiful set-up from the Hazzan-Truex wedding from May!
Planning and Design
Photography
Venue
Catering
Florals
Beauty
Linen/ Rentals
Tent
Lighting
Videography
DJ
Bride’s Attire
Happy 4th of July from the NSCDA and Dumbarton House! Celebrating America's heritage and independence with pride and reverence for our nation's history.
Join us on Saturday, 7/13, from 9:30 AM to 10:15 AM for our serene Serenity Yoga program led by DC Dame Stephanie Green.
Your Saturday sanctuary awaits! BYOM (bring your own mats), beginners welcome. No RSVP required! Donations encouraged - all proceeds benefit VETOGA, supporting military, veterans, and their families with yoga and meditation. 🧘♀️✨
Dumbarton House Museum is open per usual on Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM-3 PM. Dumbarton House will be closed this week on July 4th and July 5th. If you would like to make an appointment for a Museum Tour during the week; Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday please contact us by phone or email, located in our bio.
Last week, we shared that Dumbarton House was moved to its current location by the Newbold family in 1915. While it may seem astonishing to move such a large brick home, this sort of thing was probably right up John L. Newbold’s alley! During the time of his ownership of Dumbarton House, he served as the President of Merchant’s Transfer Company, a business that boasted a motto of “We Move Anything!” Ironically, however, his workers moved the contents of houses, not the structures themselves. Nevertheless, it’s fitting that Newbold hired C.L. Saers Company to pull off this impressive engineering feat. In doing so, he showed that he really would move anything!
📷: Photograph courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.
You are cordially invited to the Jane Austen Ball and Garden Soiree, hosted by the International Club of DC at the historic Dumbarton House in Georgetown. Step into the elegance of Regency romance with an enchanting evening of classical music, wine, dessert, and dance.
Explore Dumbarton House with optional tours of its historic rooms and stroll through the manicured gardens under the stars. Enjoy delightful waltzes performed by a classical ensemble and imagine yourself in the halls of Pemberley.
Desserts and wine will be available for purchase at the cash bar. No partner or prior dance experience is needed; join us alone or with friends for a magical night from the pages of a Jane Austen novel. Reserve your spot now, as space is limited and our events frequently sell out.
Tickets are non-refundable and prices may increase as the event date approaches. Secure your reservation early for this unforgettable Regency soirée.
Did you know Dumbarton House is not in its original location? For most of the nineteenth century, Q Street (or Stoddert Street, as it was called at the time) ended at the west side of the home. Around 1915, Washington officials wanted to expand the street to the Buffalo Bridge over Rock Creek to better connect Georgetown with the rest of the city. They gave the Newbolds, who owned Dumbarton House at the time, one of two options: they demolish the house or move it. Fortunately, they chose the latter, and the central block of Dumbarton House was raised onto rollers and moved north 100 feet, allegedly by a single white horse.
These maps from 1903 and 1919 show where the house sat before and after the move.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It signifies June 19, 1865, when the final enslaved African Americans in Texas were informed of their freedom—two and a half years following the Emancipation Proclamation. This occasion serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and justice.
📷: Detroit Publishing Company (Library of Congress)
Today, Dumbarton House’s attic is accessed by a pull-down ladder, but from the mid-nineteenth to late twentieth century a set of stairs served as the main point of entry. Swipe to see a then and now comparison!
The stairs were demolished around the 1990s to make way for an elevator vestibule. However, their remnants tell important stories about the history of Dumbarton House. In particular, a newspaper article from 1860 accuses J.L. Ferguson, a man enslaved by then Dumbarton House owner Charles E. Rittenhouse, of setting a fire in the closet under the garret (or attic) stairway.
Join the International Club of DC for an enchanting evening of vintage elegance at Dumbarton House Museum and Gardens! Dance to Sinatra-inspired tunes, indulge in delightful wine and desserts, and make new friends under the stars. Whether you're a dance pro or a novice, come solo or with friends and embrace the timeless charm of a bygone era.
🕰️ Date: June 21st @ 6:30 PM
🎟️ Tickets Required- Link in bio!
👗 Attire: Vintage-inspired cocktail attire suggested
Don't miss this magical night of music, dancing, and mingling with like-minded professionals. Space is limited, so reserve your spot early! Must be 21+ to attend.
Stop by our Dining Room this weekend and you may see this (faux) lemon tree near the sideboard! The curatorial team included the tree in the period room as a nod to Henry Middleton’s time at Dumbarton House. Middleton, a Congressman from South Carolina, rented the home around 1818. He hosted dinner parties with many notable guests, including John Quincy and Louisa Catherine Adams. In 1820, Middleton moved abroad to serve as Minister to Russia. Ahead of this trip, a newspaper advertisement details an auction for his belongings, which includes citrus trees.
On June 13th & 14th, join us as Picnic Theatre Company returns to the beautiful Dumbarton House garden in Georgetown with an original parody play adaptation of The Candidate, set in 1972!
What would you do if you could say anything you wanted to get elected? In this satire of electoral politics in America, the heir of a famous political family is tapped to run a hopeless campaign against a powerful incumbent Senator. Be transported to the 1970s with music and costumes on the campaign trail. The comedy reveals divisions in American politics and society that still resonate in 2024.
Go to our website DumbartonHouse.org to purchase tickets! Doors open at 6:00pm; performance begins at 7:00pm
Bring a blanket for picnic seating with wine and refreshments for sale!
Join us at Dumbarton House on June 1 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM for the 11th Annual DC Day of Archaeology Festival! Engage with archaeologists from DC, Maryland, and Virginia as they share insights into our local history and heritage. Enjoy artifact displays, children's activities, music, crafts, and more. Hosted by Archaeology in the Community, this free event is a perfect family outing to explore the fascinating world of archaeology!
We are proud to announce that the fourth and final painting in the Ages of Dumbarton series is complete! These paintings by Peter Waddell bring to life often forgotten histories of Dumbarton House, particularly the lived experiences of women. Titled Wedding Day, 1841, this bird’s eye view of Georgetown depicts the wedding of Julia Duckett and Lewis Cartwright at the Ark Church, a Black Methodist congregation. Julia, her mother Grace, and her brother Henry were enslaved by the Whitall family, who lived at Dumbarton House, just across the road from the church. Shortly after marrying Lewis Cartwright, a free black man, Julia was manumitted in the City of Washington. In addition to the joyous occasion of her wedding, the painting helps demonstrate Julia’s daily life in her surrounding community.
On this Memorial Day, we salute the heroes who sacrificed for our freedom. Their legacy lives on in our hearts.
Hold on to your handkerchiefs—the Jane Austen Film Festival movie list is nearly here!
2715 Q Street NW
Washington D.C., DC
20007
| Friday | 10am - 3pm |
| Saturday | 10am - 3pm |
| Sunday | 10am - 3pm |
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Merry Christmas Eve from everyone here at Dumbarton House. In the 19th century, Christmas was often enjoyed with a large feast. And while we haven't been able to decorate the museum with the Christmas feast we usually do, we did want to share this lovely video of our table from last year. Sit back with a warm drink tonight and enjoy the holiday! ❄️🎄🎅🎁
Preservation is in progress at Dumbarton House this summer! We are working on the restoration of the Best Chamber, the primary bedroom in the house. Last week Sammie, our Collections Manager, and Jerry, our Historic Site Director, disassembled and removed all the furnishings. With these historic collections objects out of the way and safely stored, removal of the wallpaper and repairs to the plaster are taking place. Check back soon for an update on this exciting process!
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