Washington, D.C., District of Columbia story
A Hilltop Summer Retreat
High on a hill in Northwest D.C. sits Woodley Mansion, a Federal-style home constructed in 1801. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the surrounding Woodley Park area was a favo…
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High on a hill in Northwest D.C. sits Woodley Mansion, a Federal-style home constructed in 1801. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the surrounding Woodley Park area was a favorite summer retreat for Washingtonians looking to escape the city's heat.
The mansion itself has a prestigious guest list, having served as a home for Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, and Henry L. Stimson. Stimson eventually donated the property to Phillips Academy in 1938, though he and his wife continued to live there.
By 1950, the estate was sold to the Maret School, which moved its campus here in 1952. The mansion's name lived on, giving its identity to the very roads and neighborhood that surround it.
Updated June 2026