Dodona Manor
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General George C. Marshall's House
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The Marshall House
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| Location | 217 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, Virginia |
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| Coordinates | 39°6′53″N 77°33′45″W / 39.11472°N 77.56250°WCoordinates: 39°6′53″N 77°33′45″W / 39.11472°N 77.56250°W |
| Area | 3.88 acres (1.57 ha) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP Reference # | 96000972 |
| VLR # | 253-0009 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1996 |
| Designated NHL | June 19, 1996 |
| Designated VLR | December 4, 1996 |
The Marshall House (formerly Dodona Manor) is a National Historic Landmark and historic house museum at 217 Edwards Ferry Road in Leesburg, Virginia. It is owned by the George C. Marshall International Center, which has restored the property to its Marshall-era appearance of the 1950s. It is nationally significant as the home of George Catlett Marshall, Jr. (1880-1959), Chief of Staff of the United States Army during World War II, Secretary of State, President of the American Red Cross, and Secretary of Defense.
George Catlett Marshall, who was Army Chief of Staff, special envoy to China, Secretary of State, President of the Red Cross, Secretary of Defense, and namesake of the Marshall Plan, and his wife Katherine Marshall purchased the property for $16,000 in 1941 and lived there until his death on October 16, 1959. Legend has it that Katherine paid the owners $10 earnest money and threw the "for sale" sign into the bushes as she left to discourage the competition. Except for a winter home in Pinehurst, N.C., this house was the only home Marshall ever owned, and was the backdrop to quiet conversations and contemplations of international importance. Katherine gave the house and 3.88 acres to her daughter, Molly Winn, in 1960 while she moved to Pinehurst for permanent residence. When Mrs. Winn expressed her desire to sell the property in the early 1990s, several prominent Leesburg citizens under the leadership of B. Powell Harrison were concerned that the property might fall into commercial hands and be demolished and urged the Town of Leesburg to purchase it. That proved to be impossible, so the citizens formed the George C. Marshall Home Preservation Fund, later the George C. Marshall International Center, and purchased the Marshall House for $2.3 million. After renovations costing more than $4.5 million, the house opened as a museum on Veterans Day in 2005. Much of the money for the purchase and renovation was donated by European nations that had benefited from the Marshall Plan. Further funding was provided by grants from the Commonwealth of Virginia, National Park Service (Save America’s Treasures program), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Garden Club of Virginia, and generous private donations.
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