Papers of Harrison H. Dodge

Harrison Howell Dodge was born on March 31, 1852 in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Columbian College, now George Washington University, in 1871 and began working for Jay Cooke & Co., a Wall Street banking house. He returned to Washington, D.C. in 1873 and worked on indexing the Congressional Record, and later in banking and finance with Riggs & Co. In 1875 he married Elizabeth Knowlton and the couple eventually had six children. Dodge was appointed the Superintendent of Mount Vernon by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association in 1885 and stayed in this position until his death in 1937.

His numerous contributions and accomplishments for the preservation and restoration of Mount Vernon’s Mansion and grounds cannot be overstated. During his tenure, the size of the property owned by the MVLA doubled in acreage. Fire prevention and preservation of the Mansion were a major concern and led him to write the article “Fire Protection of the Home of Washington,” and to oversee the installation of electric lighting to replace kerosene lamps. Dodge oversaw every detail of work and maintenance to the buildings and grounds, as well as the supervision of all employees. The restoration of the Houdon bust, the building of a sea wall to prevent erosion, and research for the redevelopment of Washington’s gardens all took place during his tenure as Superintendent. In his book, Mount Vernon, Its Owner and Its Story, Dodge relates many of his favorite stories of famous visitors to the estate, memories of Regents and Vice Regents, and his knowledge of the Washington family.

Dodge suffered from several illnesses in his later years and finally succumbed to a cerebral hemorrhage while at work on May 1, 1937. He was taken to the hospital where he died. He had been the Superintendent of Mount Vernon for 52 years, the longest term yet for that position.