Harrison Howell Dodge
Encyclopedia
Harrison Howell Dodge was the third resident superintendent of George Washington
's estate at Mount Vernon
. During his 52 years overseeing the estate, he doubled the facility's acreage, improved the grounds and added many historic artifacts to the collections there.
, and graduated from Columbian College, which was later renamed George Washington University
. After graduating from college, Dodge worked in the Wall Street
banking house of Jay Cooke & Company
, until that firmed collapsed in the Panic of 1873
. He returned to Washington, D.C., where he spent 1874 indexing the Congressional Record
. He worked from 1874 to 1877 with commissioners of a sinking fund
and at Riggs & Co.
from 1877 to 1885.
and as postmaster
of Mount Vernon by President of the United States
Grover Cleveland
and was reappointed as postmaster by successive Presidents until his death. Dodge reviewed George Washington's writings about the estate, visited other Colonial-era gardens, and traveled to England
to see gardens there dating from the Georgian period. Using this knowledge, Dodge oversaw the restoration of the site and put in place a number of improvements that Washington had planned but never implemented. Dodge and then-assistant superintendent Charles Wall
, who had been hired in 1929, rotated turns sleeping as guard in the manor house.
Dodge's 1932 book Mount Vernon: Its Owner and Its Story, with an introduction by Owen Wister
, told many stories about Washington and his home, including details of a mechanical roasting spit that Washington had designed and of finding a pocket-knife that had belonged to Washington in his youth. The knife was said to have played a role at Valley Forge
in convincing the General to continue as leader of the Continental Army
in one of its darkest days. George Washington University recognized Harrison Howell Dodge in 1931 with an honorary LL.D. degree.
Dodge died at age 85 on May, 20, 1937, at Garfield Hospital in Washington, D.C. He was survived by his wife, the former Elizabeth Knowlton, as well as by two of his four daughters. He was succeeded as resident superintendent in 1937 by Wall, who continued many of the improvements to the grounds and buildings that Dodge had initiated.
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's estate at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
. During his 52 years overseeing the estate, he doubled the facility's acreage, improved the grounds and added many historic artifacts to the collections there.
Biography
Dodge was born on March 31, 1852, in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and graduated from Columbian College, which was later renamed George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
. After graduating from college, Dodge worked in the Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
banking house of Jay Cooke & Company
Jay Cooke & Company
Jay Cooke & Company was a U.S. bank from 1861 to 1873. It was the first brokerage house to use telegraph messages to confirm with clients the purchase and sale of securities. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it had branches in New York City and Washington, DC...
, until that firmed collapsed in the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
. He returned to Washington, D.C., where he spent 1874 indexing the Congressional Record
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
. He worked from 1874 to 1877 with commissioners of a sinking fund
Sinking fund
A sinking fund is a fund established by a government agency or business for the purpose of reducing debt by repaying or purchasing outstanding loans and securities held against the entity. It helps keep the borrower liquid so it can repay the bondholder....
and at Riggs & Co.
Riggs National Bank
Riggs National Bank is an historic former headquarters of Riggs Bank, located at 1503–1505 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the downtown Washington, D.C...
from 1877 to 1885.
Superintendent
In 1885, he was appointed as the third resident superintendent by the regents of The Mount Vernon Ladies' AssociationThe Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is a non-profit organization that preserves and maintains the Mount Vernon estate originally owned by George Washington.-History:...
and as postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
of Mount Vernon by President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
and was reappointed as postmaster by successive Presidents until his death. Dodge reviewed George Washington's writings about the estate, visited other Colonial-era gardens, and traveled to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to see gardens there dating from the Georgian period. Using this knowledge, Dodge oversaw the restoration of the site and put in place a number of improvements that Washington had planned but never implemented. Dodge and then-assistant superintendent Charles Wall
Charles Wall
Charles Cecil Wall was an American self-taught historian and preservationist, who spent nearly 40 years as resident director of George Washington's estate at Mount Vernon on the banks of the Potomac River, where he endeavored to keep the home and its surroundings in much the same state that it...
, who had been hired in 1929, rotated turns sleeping as guard in the manor house.
Dodge's 1932 book Mount Vernon: Its Owner and Its Story, with an introduction by Owen Wister
Owen Wister
Owen Wister was an American writer and "father" of western fiction.-Early life:Owen Wister was born on July 14, 1860, in Germantown, a well-known neighborhood in the northwestern part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Owen Jones Wister, was a wealthy physician, one of a long line of...
, told many stories about Washington and his home, including details of a mechanical roasting spit that Washington had designed and of finding a pocket-knife that had belonged to Washington in his youth. The knife was said to have played a role at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
in convincing the General to continue as leader of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
in one of its darkest days. George Washington University recognized Harrison Howell Dodge in 1931 with an honorary LL.D. degree.
Dodge died at age 85 on May, 20, 1937, at Garfield Hospital in Washington, D.C. He was survived by his wife, the former Elizabeth Knowlton, as well as by two of his four daughters. He was succeeded as resident superintendent in 1937 by Wall, who continued many of the improvements to the grounds and buildings that Dodge had initiated.