Tregaron (estate)
Encyclopedia
Tregaron is a 20 acres estate in Washington, D. C..
The property, originally part of a larger estate, "Twin Oaks", was bought by Gardiner Greene Hubbard
, founder of the National Geographic Society
, in the 1880s, and named "The Causeway". His daughter Mabel
married Alexander Graham Bell
, and inherited the property, which she sold to James Parmelee
, a Cleveland
financier. He hired Charles Adams Platt to design a country house for the property. Platt employed Ellen Biddle Shipman
as landscape architect for the project.
After Parmelee's death, the estate was purchased in 1940 by Joseph E. Davies
, First Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission; American Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1936-1938); Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg (1938-1939); Lawyer (1937 Law Firm: Davies, Richberg. Beebe, Busick and Richardson); and Special Advisor to President Harry Truman and Secretary of State James Byrnes, with Rank of Ambassador at the Potsdam Conference. Davies named the place "Tregaron
" (village of the three wells) after his mother's ancestral home in Wales
.
After Davies's death in 1958, the Washington International School
purchased six of the 20 acres (80,937.2 m²), and the Tregaron Limited Partnership, an Israeli corporation, purchased the remaining 14 acres (56,656 m²). Attempts to develop the space were opposed by the "Friends of Tregaron", a community group. Eventually, in 2006, an agreement was reached by which 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) of the estate have been conserved as open green space and are managed by Tregaron Conservatory.
The property, originally part of a larger estate, "Twin Oaks", was bought by Gardiner Greene Hubbard
Gardiner Greene Hubbard
Gardiner Greene Hubbard was a U.S. lawyer, financier, and philanthropist. He was one of the founders of the Bell Telephone Company and the first president of the National Geographic Society.- Biography :...
, founder of the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
, in the 1880s, and named "The Causeway". His daughter Mabel
Mabel Gardiner Hubbard
Mabel Gardiner Hubbard , was the daughter of Boston lawyer Gardiner Hubbard—the first president of the Bell Telephone Company...
married Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
, and inherited the property, which she sold to James Parmelee
James Parmelee
James Parmelee was a Cleveland financier who, in 1886, along with the son of U.S. President and Ohio native, Rutherford B. Hayes, helped start the National Carbon Company, which figured prominently in the history of the battery.-References:...
, a Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
financier. He hired Charles Adams Platt to design a country house for the property. Platt employed Ellen Biddle Shipman
Ellen Biddle Shipman
Ellen Biddle Shipman was an American landscape architect known for her formal gardens and lush planting style.Born in Philadelphia, she spent her childhood in Texas and the Arizona territory. Her father, Colonel James Biddle, was a career Army officer, stationed on the western frontier...
as landscape architect for the project.
After Parmelee's death, the estate was purchased in 1940 by Joseph E. Davies
Joseph E. Davies
Joseph Edward Davies was appointed by President Wilson to be Commissioner of Corporations in 1912, and First Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission in 1915. He was the second Ambassador to represent the United States in the Soviet Union and U.S. Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg...
, First Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission; American Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1936-1938); Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg (1938-1939); Lawyer (1937 Law Firm: Davies, Richberg. Beebe, Busick and Richardson); and Special Advisor to President Harry Truman and Secretary of State James Byrnes, with Rank of Ambassador at the Potsdam Conference. Davies named the place "Tregaron
Tregaron
Tregaron is a market town in the county of Ceredigion, Wales, lying on the River Brenig , a tributary of the River Teifi. The town is twinned with Plouvien, in Finistere, France. According to the 2001 Census, Tregaron's population was 1,183, of whom 68.8% spoke Welsh fluently.-History:Tregaron...
" (village of the three wells) after his mother's ancestral home in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
After Davies's death in 1958, the Washington International School
Washington International School
Washington International School is a coeducational international school for day students in grades pre-Kindergarten through 12...
purchased six of the 20 acres (80,937.2 m²), and the Tregaron Limited Partnership, an Israeli corporation, purchased the remaining 14 acres (56,656 m²). Attempts to develop the space were opposed by the "Friends of Tregaron", a community group. Eventually, in 2006, an agreement was reached by which 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) of the estate have been conserved as open green space and are managed by Tregaron Conservatory.