A Masonic group purchased the estate in 1922 with plans to build a large temple complex on the site. The $3 million (equivalent to $45.8 million in 2019) project would have included temples, an auditorium for 3,000 people, and a large central tower, although the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) did not approve the design. Despite raising a large amount for the project, the plan was canceled following the 1929 stock market crash and start of the Great Depression. A few years later Congress proposed purchasing part of the property and turning it into a public park, but the offer was turned down.