The Lindens

In 1754, near the bustling wharves of Danvers, Massachusetts, a grand mansion took shape. This was The Lindens, built for Robert “King” Hooper, a prominent merchant whose ships sailed the seven seas. The Lindens was a testament to his wealth, a symbol of his success in the burgeoning maritime trade. Now, you stand before The Lindens, not in Massachusetts, but here in Washington D.C. How did this grand old house travel over 400 miles? Its journey is as fascinating as the house itself. The Lindens initially served as a summer home for Hooper, a man of considerable influence. He even lent the house to Thomas Gage, the controversial British governor, during a time of growing unrest in the colonies. Unfortunately, Hooper’s fortunes changed. He lost The Lindens to creditors, and the house passed through several hands, even serving as a boarding house for a time. Fast forward to 1933. The house, showing its age, caught the eye of antique dealers Israel Sack and Leon David. They recognized its historical significance, but they also saw an opportunity. They sold the house’s elegant paneled drawing room to a museum in Kansas City. The remaining structure was purchased the following year by George and Miriam Morris, a couple with a passion for early American history and furniture. The Morrises had a bold vision: to bring The Lindens back to its former glory, not in Massachusetts, but in the nation’s capital. Under their direction, the house was carefully dismantled, each piece meticulously numbered. Imagine, an entire mansion packed into six railroad boxcars, traveling south to its new home in Washington D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood! The reconstruction was a labor of love, overseen by Walter Macomber, a key architect at Colonial Williamsburg. From 1935 to 1938, The Lindens rose again, this time on a modern concrete and steel foundation. The Morrises, often dressed in period attire, welcomed over 50,000 visitors to their meticulously restored home over the next 45 years. The Lindens became a living museum, a portal to the past. The house, with its eleven fireplaces, twelve-foot ceilings, and stenciled floors, offered a glimpse into eighteenth-century life. Think of the stories these walls could tell. The Lindens continues to stand proudly in Washington D.C., a testament to its enduring legacy. It reminds us that history can be preserved, even relocated, and that the echoes of the past can resonate powerfully in the present.