This highly-acclaimed new publication about an historical estate in Washington, DC's Cleveland Park is a well-researched, photo-laden book about the fascinating individuals who were part of Tregaron and their history from the early twentieth century to the present.

Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel Hubbard Bell inherited the part of the estate, Twin Oaks, which would become Tregaron, back in 1909. James and Alice Parmelee purchased the land from the Bells in 1911 and hired the esteemed architect Charles Adams Platt and the landscape designer Ellen Biddle Shipman to design their house and grounds. The Parmelees were instrumental in the early stages of construction of the Washington National Cathedral.

During the Davies marriage, Tregaron became a major focal point of the Washington political and social scene. After the Davies divorced in 1955 and Marjorie Post moved to Hillwood, she copied much of the major design aspects of Tregaron for her new house, which is now the Hillwood Museum & Gardens

The heirs tried for years to sell the estate for development but were unsuccessful due to the efforts of their Cleveland Park neighbors to keep the estate intact.

Today, Tregaron is one of the few remaining houses designed by Charles A. Platt. In 1980 the Washington International School purchased the estate and have made it their mission to keep the estate as intact as possible. Tregaron is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is truly a magical place.

After Joseph Davies’ death in 1958 the outbuildings of the estate were leased to several interesting people, including Sen. Patrick Moynihan and his family. The stories told by these leaseholders have never been told in other articles and books about Cleveland Park.

In 1940 Marjorie Merriweather Post and her husband Joseph Davies purchased the estate and made it their home for the better part of the next two decades.

The book is presently for sale at:

Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Ave., NW

Bridge Street Books in Georgetown at 2814 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Cleveland Park Book Shop at 3416 Wisconsin Avenue, NW.

Some Commentaries...

This is a fascinating, well-researched book and it fills a big gap in the documentation of Washington's great houses. The information on the Parmelee family is especially welcome.

Sue Kohler, Historian, Commission of Fine Arts

Kirstine Larsen has turned the history of a Washington house and its occupants into a fascinating tale -- especially for those of us who were familiar with both in their heyday. All Washington, D.C. residents will be interested in reading about the several historical houses described. But most of this thoroughly researched and well illustrated history is about Tregaron and its most famous occupants, wealthy Washington hostess Marjorie Post and her third husband Joseph Davies. From the appearance of the 20-acre estate Marjorie must have chosen it; she was accustomed to living in a very grand manner and her attention to detail and horticultural tastes are still apparent a half century later.

Betty Beale, Society columnist for "The Washington Star" during the years Marjorie Post and Joseph Davies lived at Tregaron.

Tregaron, A Magical Place, by Kirstine Larsen is a nice addition to Cleveland Park publications. Ms. Larsen brings to us a wealth of new photographs of Tregaron during its various periods of occupation. She also sought out some new sources who generously shared their memories of the estate and various events which took place there. To be considered a scholarly endeavor it would need to have footnotes and a fleshed out bibliography. Nevertheless, Cleveland Park residents will surely want to add this to their bookshelf. It is an easy read and a rich source of social history. It is amazing to think what took place in our backyard in the early days of the twentieth century when our homes were being built and our neighborhood just beginning to take shape. Kathleen Sinclair Wood, architectural historian, founding member and second president of the Cleveland Park Historical Society, founding member and former president of the Friends of Tregaron. -- Author of "Cleveland Park" in Washington at Home: An Illustrated History of Neighborhoods in the Nation's Capital -- and National Register Nominations for The Cleveland Park Historic District, Twin Oaks and Tregaron.

a link to amazon.com

E-mail the author at: kirstine@kirstinelarsen.com