Dodona Manor Garden & Grounds Tour
The life of Dodona Manor as a museum began with its purchase in 1995. The house restoration took ten years. Restoration to the grounds, including the vegetable, rose and flower gardens began in earnest in 2006. By this time, the nearly 4-acre property needed a lot of work and attention. The photographs below show the state of the grounds in 2006.
Make your way to the front porch to start the garden and grounds tour.
Memorial Plaques and Stones
Throughout the grounds and gardens, you will notice memorial stones and plaques that pay tribute to individuals and organizations that have supported General Marshall and Dodona Manor.
Alfred Dennis and Eeda Dennis Memorial Stones
The brick walkway on the south side of the house leading to the stone court patio contains two separate memorial stones dedicated to Alfred Dennis and his wife Eeda Dennis. The Dennises were longtime supporters of Dodona Manor. Eeda was a long-time board member of the George C. Marshall International Center. Eeda and Alfred tirelessly promoted the programs and restoration of Dodona Manor. They shared a passion for architecture and historical restoration.
Alfred attended Princeton University and the University of Chicago. He served in the Navy in World War II. After the war, he joined the State Department and was posted to Germany and Norway. In Norway, he met his wife Eeda. Later assignments included Italy, Iceland, Cameroon, and Somalia where he was the acting ambassador. Alfred and Eeda witnessed firsthand the benefits of the Marshall Plan while serving in Germany and Norway.
B. Powell Harrison Memorial Walkway
As you enter Dodona Manor from Route 7 (East Market Street), the brick walkway is named in honor of B. Powell Harrison. B. Powell Harrison started and led the effort to purchase and restore Dodona Manor in the late 1980s. The home and property were slated for commercial development at the time. He served as the president and chairman of the George C. Marshall International Center. A longtime Leesburg resident and admirer of General Marshall. B. Powell graduated from VMI in 1933 and served in the Army in China during World War II. He was a member of St. James Episcopal Church, where General Marshall was also an active member. B. Powell and his wife, Agnes, were pioneers in the preservation and conservation movement in Loudoun County and throughout the country.
Clarence and Lalla Harrison Dodge Memorial Walkway
The brick walkway that runs from the back of Dodona Manor to the toolshed is named in honor of Clarence and Lalla Harrison Dodge. The Dodges were major admirers of General Marshall and supporters of the purchase and restoration of Dodona Manor. Lalla, sister of B. Powell Harrison, grew up in Leesburg and was an active philanthropist with her husband. She was vice-president of the Junior Womens League of Washington DC and member of the Garden Clubs of America and National Society of Colonial Dames.
Clarence, a native Washingtonian, enlisted in the Army in 1941 and retired in 1945 as a lieutenant colonel in field artillery. He served in Germany and France where he earned the Legion of Merit and three battle stars. After the war, he had a very successful career in banking and real estate.