Oxon Hill Manor

Oxon Hill Manor is a neo-Georgian house of 49 rooms, located at Oxon Hill, Prince George's County, Maryland. It was designed in 1928 for Sumner Welles (1892-1961) by the Washington architect, Jules Henri de Sibour (1872-1938). It was built in 1929, and consists of a two-story main block of Flemish bond brick and a northern wing. Also on the property are two outbuildings contemporary with the house; a five-car garage and attached manager's quarters and greenhouse, and a stable. There are also formal gardens on the grounds.HistoryThe Oxon Hill Manor property has a strong historical association. The colonial-era Addison family, active in the development of Prince George's county and in colonial government, built a mansion on the property in 1711. In 1778, Thomas Hawkins Hanson, nephew of John Hanson, acquired the property. John Hanson died at Oxon Hill Manor on November 22, 1783, and was buried on the property. Walter Dulaney Addison who was for a time Chaplain of the Senate lived here and conducted a school here.After a period of ownership by the Berry family, in 1895, the original Oxon Hill Manor burned. In 1927, the property was bought by Sumner Welles, U.S. Undersecretary of State, who built the present manor house. Franklin D. Roosevelt and possibly Sir Winston Churchill were guests there. It was later the home of Fred Maloof, a wealthy oilman, timberland owner, and art collector who established a museum for fine art and John Hanson memorabilia, before the property came under the control of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.