Clara Barton National Historic Site, Glen Echo

A Brief History of the Site

Brothers, Edwin and Edward Baltzley, built a community at a site near the old Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. They called it Glen Echo. They believed that having the prestige of the American Red Cross at Glen Echo would encourage sales, so offered Clara Barton land and labor if she would move to the community early. The house at Glen Echo was incomplete, with a leaking roof, inadequate bedding and cooking facilities. These malfunctions, of course, hurt the image of the Red Cross that Barton had envisioned. [Pryor, E.B. Clara Barton: Professional Angel. p.264] The house at Glen Echo was neither painted on the inside nor outside. It contained thirty-eight rooms and seventy-six closets. Medical supplies, food, linen and clothing were stored in the closets to be shipped anywhere in the world they were needed. In fact, her home was her warehouse and headquarters. Diplomas, resolutions, medals and souvenirs hung on the walls. Visitors described it as mysterious and possessing a strange aura. Barton referred to it as her “House of Rough Hemlock Boards.” She was referring to the boards from the destruction caused by the Johnstown Flood. [Young, C.S. Clara Barton: A Centenary Tribute. pp.118-119] When the Blatzleys constructed a trolley line connecting Glen Echo to Georgetown, to give the brothers the prestige they desired for the community, Barton moved the Red Cross Headquarters to Glen Echo in late 1896. The house was greatly improved upon. Barton turned bedrooms into private work spaces, and parlors also served as office receptions. A window stained with a large red cross and a flag flying from the gable strengthened the official function of the house. [Pryor, p.298] The title to the house at Glen Echo was not clear. Though the Baltzleys had donated it to the Red Cross, Barton had for years, extended its acreage and financed their projects. Supporters of Mabel Boardman relinquished claims for the transfer of Barton’s property to the Red Cross, due to the negative publicity it would create. Nevertheless, the new Red Cross wanted the contents of the house. [Pryor, p.356] In 1905, Barton bought an old mansion in North Oxford. She did this for several reasons. If the Red Cross suddenly decided to take the Glen Echo house, she would have somewhere to go. Also, it allowed her to leave Glen Echo during the hot summers. Glen Echo had become incongruent with the stately mansion she had once imagined. It was full of weeds and shacks, and a roller coaster was built around her front yard. [Pryor, p.360] Sick with pneumonia, Barton deeded the Glen Echo property to Dr. Hubbell to recognize his lifelong services. She wanted it to eventually go back to the American Red Cross. [Young, pp. 327-328] When Barton passed away, Glen Echo was valued at $5000. [Young, p.42] Under the influence of Mrs. Warneke, a spiritualistic medium, Julian Hubbell gave the house away. [Pryor, p.363]

The Historic Site Today

Described as “One of the lesser-known gems of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area,” [ [http://www.nps.gov/clba/ Clara Barton National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) ] ] / the Clara Barton National Historic Site was established under the National Park Service in 1975. It is administered by the George Washington Memorial Parkway. [ [http://usparks.about.com/cs/womenshistory1/a/clarabarton.htm Clara Barton National Historic Site ] ] Shown only by guided tour, the site provides various activities for students. They include exploring hallways, hidden closets, “bandage material” ceiling and walls, and watching plays about Barton. Tour guides tell stories about Barton’s life, how she used the building as a warehouse, her home, and the Red Cross Headquarters. Serving as the guiding document for the restoration and furnishing of the rooms at the site, the Historic Furnishing Plan was developed by the National Park Service/Harpers Ferry Center in 1983. [ [http://www.nps.gov/clba Clara Barton National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) ] ] On August 25 2006, the 90th Anniversary of the National Park Service, Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior, introduced the Centennial Initiative of 2016 to celebrate its 100th Anniversary. The purpose of the initiative is “to prepare national parks for another century of conservation, preservation, and enjoyment.” On April 26 2008, a free National Junior Ranger Day celebration for parents and children will be hosted at the site. Guests will tour the house and engage in fun family activities at the Glen Echo Park. [http:// http://www.nps.gov/clba/] The site is located off MacArthur Blvd., next to Glen Echo Park. It is open everyday, from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Guided tours are given hourly, until 4:00pm. Admission is free. [ [http://usparks.about.com/cs/womenshistory1/a/clarabarton.htm Clara Barton National Historic Site ] ]

Notes

References

*Young, Charles Sumner. Clara Barton: A Centenary Tribute. New York: Press of J.J. Little & Ives Company, 1922.
*Pryor, Elizabeth Brown. Clara Barton: Professional Angel. Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Press, 1987.
*United States. National Park Service. Clara Barton. 2008. USA.gov. 11 Apr. 2008 .
*About.com. US & Canadian Parks. Smith, Darren. 2008 .The New York Times Company. Mar. 11. Apr. 2008 < http://usparks.about.com/cs/womenshistory1/a/clarabarton.htm>.

External links

*http://www.wcredcross.org/general/mabel.html
*http://www.glenechopark.org/
*http://www.glenecho.org/history.html