A History of the Property

In 1805, John Drish purchased eight acres at the top of a knoll just east of Leesburg on land that had originally been owned by Landon Carter, son of Robert "King" Carter. Although not mentioned in the deed of sale, it is likely that an early 19th-century two-story, two-bay-wide brick building already stood on the property that Drish purchased.

Between 1805 and 1826, Drish constructed an elegant two-story Federal-style residence that adjoined the earlier building. The Federal-style structure is noted in the 1826 deed to Wilson J. Drish and in the 1829 deed to Fayette Ball, whose elder brother, George Washington Ball, was a nephew of George Washington.

Both the 1829 sale price and the building's footprint, identified as the 'G. W. Ball residence' on 1856 Yardley Taylor map of Loudoun County, clearly indicate the presence of a substantial building. However, by 1859 the residence had undergone two major alterations: a two-story brick service ell had been added on the east side, and on the north side the early 19th century building had been encapsulated.

An advertisement appearing in the 1859 Democratic Mirror of Leesburg announced that the residence, then known as Oak Hill, was for sale. Describing a 16-room house with good cellars, the public notice also mentioned several outbuildings including carriage, ice and meat houses, cow shed, stable, and a building for servants.

  
South elevation of Dodona Manor, after 1907.          1935-1941, prior to the Marshalls' residency.

The Marshalls and Dodona Manor

Except for three signficant changes: a late 19th-century two-story brick bay window, an early 20th century Colonial Revival front porch, and the 20th-century bathrooms - this advertisement from House and Garden magazine describes the manor house as it appeared in 1941 when the Marshalls purchased Dodona Manor from Northcutt Ely as a retreat from their public life in Washington.

The Marshalls made certain interior cosmetic changes to Dodona Manor, including new wallpaper for the living, dining, and breakfast rooms, and fresh paint for the trim and walls in other rooms. On the exterior, they added a stone patio to the rear of the house, a two car brick garage to the north, and a wooden garden shed at the eastern edge of the property.

While Dodona Manor retains its early 19th-century architectural details, present day furnishings and decorative arts reflect the tastes of the 1940s and 50s when the Marshalls lived there. General Marshall, a student of history, appreciated the historic character of the fine old building and its location overlooking the Town of Leesburg.

Ever the peripatetic career Army officer, Marshall remarked to his wife Katherine upon returning from a trip abroad in 1942: "This is Home...a real home after forty-one years of wandering."

George and Katherine Marshall on the front porch of Dodona Manor
Photo courtesy of Life magazine