Hickory Hill (McLean, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Hickory Hill is a large brick house in McLean
, Virginia
, in the United States
, believed to have been built ca. 1840 (though the Fairfax County DTA page lists the date as 1870). The land on which it is built is part of a Lee family tract of land called Langley
. General George B. McClellan
reportedly commandeered Hickory Hill as temporary headquarters during the American Civil War
, though this may not be accurate: on ordinance maps of Northern Virginia, 1865, there was no evidence of any structure on the property.
The house has been the home of notable public figures. In July 1941, it became the home of newly appointed United States Supreme Court
Justice Robert H. Jackson
and his wife, Irene, who, in 1955, after his death, sold Hickory Hill to United States Senator
John F. Kennedy
and his wife, Jacqueline
. After the 1956 Democratic National Convention
, the Kennedys sold the house to John's brother Robert F. Kennedy
and his wife, Ethel
, who had a growing family (eventually eleven children). While he lived at Hickory Hill, Robert Kennedy became Attorney General of the United States
, in 1961; a United States Senator, in 1965; and a presidential
candidate, in 1968.
Expanded by Robert Kennedy's family, the house was for sale since 2004, initially at an asking price of $25 million, but the property was withdrawn from the market November 2008. It was sold December 2009 to an unidentified entity or individual for $8.25 million. It is currently undergoing a complete renovation.
In 1980-1982, the property was nominated for the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places
and is currently listed as one.
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, believed to have been built ca. 1840 (though the Fairfax County DTA page lists the date as 1870). The land on which it is built is part of a Lee family tract of land called Langley
Langley, Virginia
Langley is an unincorporated community in the census-designated place of McLean in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.The community was essentially absorbed into McLean many years ago, although there is still a Langley High School...
. General George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
reportedly commandeered Hickory Hill as temporary headquarters during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, though this may not be accurate: on ordinance maps of Northern Virginia, 1865, there was no evidence of any structure on the property.
The house has been the home of notable public figures. In July 1941, it became the home of newly appointed United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Justice Robert H. Jackson
Robert H. Jackson
Robert Houghwout Jackson was United States Attorney General and an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court . He was also the chief United States prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials...
and his wife, Irene, who, in 1955, after his death, sold Hickory Hill to United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and his wife, Jacqueline
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
. After the 1956 Democratic National Convention
1956 Democratic National Convention
The 1956 National Convention of the Democratic Party nominated former Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois for President and Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee for Vice President. It was held in the International Amphitheatre on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois August 13–17 1956. Unsuccessful...
, the Kennedys sold the house to John's brother Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
and his wife, Ethel
Ethel Skakel Kennedy
Ethel Skakel Kennedy is the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, who served as Attorney General of the United States and a United States Senator for the state of New York.-Early life:...
, who had a growing family (eventually eleven children). While he lived at Hickory Hill, Robert Kennedy became Attorney General of the United States
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
, in 1961; a United States Senator, in 1965; and a presidential
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....
candidate, in 1968.
Expanded by Robert Kennedy's family, the house was for sale since 2004, initially at an asking price of $25 million, but the property was withdrawn from the market November 2008. It was sold December 2009 to an unidentified entity or individual for $8.25 million. It is currently undergoing a complete renovation.
In 1980-1982, the property was nominated for the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is currently listed as one.