In the early 1920s the Blisses hired architect Frederick Brooke to design a swimming pool and bathhouse on the Blounts’ stable yard and manure pit north of the former barn. In the mid-1920s, architects McKim, Mead & White, working with Farrand, redesigned the bath house into the loggia and arcade that exist today. Artist Allyn Cox, who also painted murals in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, developed a series of canvas frescoes for the ceiling and walls of the loggia, depicting the fable of Diana and Actaeon. When the paintings declined in the 1940s, they were reproduced in three mosaic panels of Portuguese tile.
At the western end of the pool, framed by weeping cherries, is a cast-stone wall with rocaille ornamentation surrounding a fountain and red marble basin from a design drawn by Beatrix Farrand. To the south of the pool, leading to the Green Terrace above, is a curved stairway whose steepness is broken by a series of small landings and the Horseshoe Fountain.
Chiseled on the wall to the left of the steps leading to the orchard from the pool is a verse from the poem “Reprieve,” written by Joseph Auslander: “Like the flash of a wing / I came upon / The loveliest thing / Since Avalon / White blossoming / Azaleas wan / As a wounded king / A dying swan.” A friend of the Blisses, this American poet and novelist was the first consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress, a position that evolved into poet laureate.
More Exhibit Items
This small greenhouse is one of the oldest structures still standing on the grounds of Dumbarton Oaks.
This grassy terrace, shaded by a tall oak tree, provides a panoramic view of the entire estate.
The wide, shady branches of an enormous beech tree stretch over this quiet enclosed space.
The Urn Terrace serves as an ivied transition between the Beech Terrace, Box Walk, and Rose Garden.
A riotous variety of roses fills this sunny space between the Urn and Fountain Terraces.
A traditional flower garden in a blend of English Cottage and Arts and Crafts style.
The story of a terrier given to a Neapolitan girl by a French admiral inspired this column.
A shallow pool sits at the bottom of a small brick amphitheater, bordered by a stand of bamboo.
This narrow brick walk wends through a dreamlike woodland spotted with daffodils and hyacinths.
Hidden near the edge of the gardens, Lilac Circle offers a secluded spot for rest and contemplation.
When the trees blossom in springtime, this hillside becomes one of the gardens’ most magical spaces.
Blooming forsythia turns this corner of the gardens bright yellow at the beginning of spring.
Elaborate stonework and low flowerbeds play off trellises of wisteria in this stately courtyard.
This small room features custom stonework, wrought-iron furniture, and a fountain ornamented with various constellations.
The swimming pool and beautifully decorated loggia attest to Dumbarton Oaks’ history as a private residence.