Evening star., 1945-11-15
Twin Oaks 10 Be Sold;
ShowpIace Now Used
As Chinese Embassy
By ROBERT J. LEWIS.

Twin Oaks" spacious 18-acre
estate at 1925 Woodley road NV,
leased for the last eight years as
the Chinese Embassy, has been put
up for sale, The Star learned to-
day. Asking price for the historic
property, one of the largest in
Washington, was said to be $425, 900.
Built over so years ago by Gar
diner Greene Hubbard, father-in-
law of Alexander Graham Bell, in
ventor of the telephone. the main
house was an outstanding Wash
ington country seat for many
years. Mr.. Hubbard was president
of the Nations first telephone COM
pany.
The grounds have frontage on
Woodley and Klingle roads, Thirty
third place and Macomb street NV.
and adjoin Tregaron," the. estate
of former Ambassador to Russia
Joseph E. Davies. which formerly
was a part of the Twin Oaks"
property.
Mrs. Bell Confirms Report.
In addition to the main house
used as the Embassy, the property
includes smaller residence, care
takers house, garage and green
house. 1t is owned by Mrs. Grace
Hubbard Bell of New York, widow
of Charles ]. Bell, former president
of the American Security and
Trust Co., and her two daughters,
Mrs. Granville r. Fortescue of Palm
Beach, Fla. and Mrs. Julien A.
Ripley of Oyster Bay, Long Island.
Mrs. Bell, "a, only surviving
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Hubbard,
today confirmed. in a telephone
conversation from New York, that
the property is for sale. Mrs.
Bell is a sister of the late Mrs.
Alexander Graham Bell.
The estate, which is tied in with
the names of many prominent
WashingtonianS, derived it's name
from two enormous white oak trees.
In 1897, the year of Mr.. Hubbard S
death, one of the trees was destroyed
by lightning. A pin oak planted in
its place is now almost as large as
the surviving white oak.
Half Original Size.
The present property is about half
the original Twin Oaks" estate,
the other half having gone to Mrs.
Alexander Graham Bell and Mrs.
Stuyvesant Pilot, granddaughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. Hubbard. Mrs. Bell
and Mrs. Pilot sold their half to
James Parmelee, a prominent in
dustrialist, in 1911, and from this
share was developed the present
Davies estate.
The original owner of Twin
Oaks" descendant of William
Hubbard, a New England historian
and an early president of Harvard
College, was well-known philan-
thropist. The fact that the daugh-
ter, who later was married to
Alexander Graham Bell, became
deaf at the age of interested him
in aiding the deaf, and he is credited
with having introduced lip reading
in America. He helped found Clark
School for the Deaf in Northamp-
ton, Mass, where Miss Grace Good
hue was a teacher at the time she
met her future husband; Calvin
Coolidge.
Hubbard Bought in 1890.
Mr.. Hubbard purchased the prop
erty about 1890 when it contained
only small farmhouse. He built
a handsome Victorian home con-
tanning about Is rooms which stands
today largely unchanged The house
is of frame, with a large verands
surrounding two sides, and a part
of the interior is paneled in oak ano
mahogany.
Many trees stand on the prop.
erty, and for many years the Twin
Oaks" rose garden was among the
most beautiful in this area. The
Chinese Embassy remains housed ir
the property. Randall H. Hagner &
Co., 1921 Connecticut avenue NV.
A 3e onayHf fnv. ft1n Ia