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Oatlands Historic House & Gardens facts for kids
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Oatlands Historic District
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Main House of Oatlands Historic District (1973)
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Loudoun County, Virginia |
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| Nearest city | Leesburg, Virginia |
| Area | 415 acres (168 ha) (landmarked area) |
| Built | ca. 1804 |
| Architect | George Carter (original) |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000255 (original) 74002327 (expansion to district) |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 12, 1969 (original) May 3, 1974 (expansion to district) |
| Designated NHL | November 11, 1971 |
Oatlands Historic House and Gardens is a beautiful old estate found in Leesburg, Virginia, in the United States. It used to be called Oatlands Plantation. Today, a group called the National Trust for Historic Preservation takes care of it.
Oatlands is a very important place in history. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark. The property includes a large main house, called a mansion, and about 415 acres (168.0 ha) of farmland and amazing gardens. The mansion is considered one of the best examples of Federal style country homes in the United States.
Besides the main mansion, there are many other buildings on the property. These include a Carriage House, a Bachelor's Cottage, several barns, and farm buildings. There's also a greenhouse built in 1810. People say it's the oldest standing greenhouse in the Southern United States!
Contents
The Story of Oatlands: From Farm to Historic Site
Oatlands was started in 1798 by a man named George Carter I. He was the great-grandson of a famous person named Robert "King" Carter. George Carter began with a huge farm of 3,408 acres (1,980 ha).
Early Beginnings and Enslaved Laborers
At first, Oatlands was a wheat farm. But it grew to include other grains, sheep, a gristmill (for grinding grain), and a saw mill (for cutting wood). There was even a vineyard for growing grapes. In 1804, George Carter started building the main mansion. He made it bigger in the 1820s and 1830s. During this time, a beautiful terraced garden and many other buildings were added.
The Carter family's farm and businesses were built and run by enslaved laborers. When George Carter took over the land, there were 17 enslaved people working there. Over time, through buying more enslaved people and because children born to enslaved people were also enslaved, the Carter family claimed 133 people as their property by 1860. These individuals were forced to do all the work. They planted and harvested crops, cared for farm animals, and did household chores like cooking, cleaning, and sewing. They likely also worked as blacksmiths and millers.
After George Carter passed away in 1846, his wife, Elizabeth Grayson Lewis Carter, inherited Oatlands. In 1861, during the American Civil War, Elizabeth feared a battle nearby. She moved to another one of her properties. Her eldest son, George Carter II, and his wife, Katherine Powell Carter, reopened the mansion in 1863. George Carter II inherited the property when his mother died in 1887.
New Owners and Exciting Changes
In 1897, the Carter family sold the mansion and 60 acres (24.3 ha) of land. A man named Stilson Hutchins bought it. He was the person who started The Washington Post newspaper. However, he never actually lived at Oatlands.
Hutchins sold Oatlands in 1903 to William Corcoran Eustis and Edith Livingston Morton Eustis. Mrs. Eustis loved gardens and worked hard to bring the neglected gardens back to life. She added boxwood-lined paths, statues, a rose garden, a bowling green, and a reflecting pool. Today, you can still see some of her original plantings, like old Buxus sempervirens (boxwood) and Quercus robur (oak trees).
The Eustis family also updated the house with modern comforts. They added indoor plumbing, heating, and gas lighting. They put new pine floors over the old ones and even installed an elevator. A special bathroom was built on the first floor for their childhood friend, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who later became president.
Because of their important roles in Washington, D.C., the Eustises had many famous friends. These included General George C. Marshall, Henry Cabot Lodge, President Harry S. Truman, and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
After Mrs. Eustis passed away in 1964, her daughters, Margaret and Anne, gave the mansion, its furniture, and the estate grounds to Margaret's husband, David E. Finley, Jr.. He was the person who founded the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Oatlands was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1971. In 1974, the area around Oatlands was named the Oatlands Historic District. This district includes other historic places like Oatland Mills, the Mountain Gap School, and the Church of Our Savior.