Merrywood (house)

Merrywood (house). Merrywood is a historic Georgian Revival estate situated in McLean, Virginia, overlooking the Potomac River. Designed by the prominent architect John Russell Pope and completed in 1920, the property is most famously associated with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who spent her formative teenage years there. The house and its expansive grounds have served as a private residence for several notable American families and have been a setting for significant political and social gatherings throughout the 20th century.

History

The estate was constructed between 1919 and 1920 for Elizabeth Patterson, the daughter of a Chicago banking magnate, following her marriage to diplomat Robert Woods Bliss. The couple commissioned John Russell Pope, renowned for designing the Jefferson Memorial and the National Archives Building, to create a grand country house. In 1941, the property was purchased by Hugh D. Auchincloss, a prominent stockbroker and stepfather to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. During the Presidency of John F. Kennedy, Merrywood occasionally hosted private family events, though it remained a private residence distinct from the official White House. The estate changed hands several times in subsequent decades, including ownership by Sargent Shriver, the first director of the Peace Corps, and his wife Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics. It was later owned by AOL co-founder James V. Kimsey before being sold in 2009.

Architecture and grounds

Designed by John Russell Pope in the Georgian Revival style, the brick mansion exemplifies symmetry and classical proportion, featuring a central pedimented portico with Ionic columns. The interior includes notable rooms such as a grand paneled library, a formal dining room, and a spacious ballroom, with design elements reflecting Palladian architecture influences. The estate's grounds encompass approximately 40 acres of rolling lawns, formal gardens, and wooded areas that slope down to the banks of the Potomac River. The property offers sweeping views of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Washington, D.C. skyline, maintaining a sense of pastoral seclusion within proximity to the United States Capitol.

Notable residents

The most famous resident is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who lived at Merrywood with her mother Janet Lee Bouvier after her mother's marriage to Hugh D. Auchincloss in 1942. Her sister, Lee Radziwill, also resided there. Other significant occupants have included the estate's original owners, Robert Woods Bliss, a diplomat and co-founder of Dumbarton Oaks, and his wife Elizabeth Patterson. Later, Sargent Shriver, who served as United States Ambassador to France and was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 1972, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver lived at the property. James V. Kimsey, the philanthropist and co-founder of AOL, was also a long-term owner who undertook extensive renovations.

Cultural references

Merrywood is frequently cited in biographies of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, such as those by Sarah Bradford and William Manchester, which detail her adolescence at the estate. The house and its social milieu are referenced in works about the Kennedy family, including Laurence Leamer's *The Kennedy Women*. It has been featured in articles by The Washington Post and The New York Times covering its historical significance and high-profile real estate transactions. The estate's association with American political aristocracy and its architectural merit have cemented its status as a notable landmark in the history of Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area.

Category:Houses in Fairfax County, Virginia Category:Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Category:Georgian Revival architecture in Virginia