General History

There was a need in this country, we thought, of a quiet place where the advanced students and scholars could withdraw, the one to mellow and develop, the other to write the result of a life’s study. —Robert Bliss, dedication remarks, 1940

Beginnings

Dumbarton Oaks was created by Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss. In June of 1920, they purchased the 1801-built Federal-style house and property, after a long search for a permanent home. Robert Bliss was a diplomat in the US Foreign Service, and until that point the two had lived a nomadic life overseas.

Transformation

After buying the property, the Blisses altered it significantly, renovating and expanding it to include the Music Room and, eventually, the Museum. They worked with Beatrix Farrand to transform the land surrounding the house into terraced gardens and vistas. Their art collections developed both during their life overseas and both before and after they gave Dumbarton Oaks to Harvard.

Gift and Ongoing Development

As early as 1932, the Blisses had begun planning to leave the institution to Harvard, Robert’s alma mater; the property was transferred in 1940. The Blisses remained very active, continuing to shape the institution, the collections, and the gardens, until their deaths in the 1960s. The Pre-Columbian addition, designed by architect Philip Johnson, opened to the public in 1963. Dumbarton Oaks continues to respond to the need for change; in 2005 scholars were welcomed into the new library, and in 2008 the extensive renovation of the house and museum was completed.