In 1903, affluent Washingtonians, William and Edith Eustis, purchased Oatlands as their country home. William was an avid equestrian, and he found the location ideally suited for stabling his horses and fox hunting. Edith, enchanted by the neglected gardens, was determined to return them to their former splendor.

Edith Eustis >

William Corcoran Eustis was the grandson of wealthy businessman William Wilson Corcoran. Edith Livingston Morton was the daughter of Levi Parsons Morton, who was Minister to France (1881-1885) and Vice-President in the administration of President Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893). Edith was life-long friends with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who visited Oatlands periodically.

William Eustis >

The Eustises lived in Washington, D.C. and came to Oatlands frequently. They had 5 children, a boy and 4 girls: Morton, Ann, Margaret, Helen and Edith (Babs). A manager oversaw the farming operation, and gardeners tended to Mrs. Eustis’s garden. Several people who had been enslaved by the Carters worked on the farm or in the garden, as did their descendants. Bazil Turner, pictured here in an undated photo, had been enslaved at Oatlands, and he worked here on the farm and in the garden after the Eustises bought the property.

Basil Turner >

Valentine B. Johnson was a young man from Gleedsville whose Buchanan relatives worked for both the Carters and Eustises. Valentine was killed in World War I. William Eustis also served during the war, as an aide and interpreter for General Pershing. He came home safely but died in 1921 from complications from influenza that he had contracted several years before. Three years later, the youngest Eustis daughter, Edith, died of tuberculosis at age 24.

William Eustis >

Tragedy struck again when their son Morton was killed in World War II. He served under General Patton, fighting in Sicily, Italy and France, and was killed in action near Domfront, France in August 1944. Another young man from Gleedsville, Sandy Johnson, lost his life in service for his country.

Morton Eustis >

Margaret married David Finley, who was influential in helping Andrew Mellon establish the National Gallery of Art in D.C. Finley was its first Director. He also founded the National Trust for Historic Preservation and, with Jacqueline Kennedy, created the White House Historical Association.

David Finley >

When Mrs. Eustis passed away in 1964, her daughters, Margaret Eustis Finley and Anne Eustis Emmet, donated the Oatlands mansion, its furnishings, and 261 acres around it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Margaret Finley & Anne Emmet >