The trio of green buildings around the circular drive were constructed in the early 1900s by the Eustis family, the last private owners of Oatlands. William Corcoran Eustis enjoyed the close proximity to Virginia hunt country while Edith Eustis saw the dilapidated gardens as a perfect restoration project. They often entertained friends from the D.C. area, including President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The Carriage House was built between 1903 and 1906 by the Norris Brothers of Leesburg. Outside, the frame building with fieldstone foundation represented typical rural Virginia architecture. Inside, it housed a state-of-the-art healthy environment for “thoroughbreds and Irish hunters.” High windows supplied light and ventilation without subjecting horses to harsh drafts. Second floor staff rooms were strategically located to minimize disruptive noise. Raised wooden floors, scored concrete hallways, and an interior drainage system allowed easy cleaning of both horses and carriages. Today, the Carriage House is the Oatlands Visitor Center and Museum Store.
Edith Morton Eustis, c. 1895
Edith Livingston Morton Eustis was the daughter of Levi Parsons Morton, Minister to France and Vice President to the 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison. She was lifelong friends with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who visited the family at Oatlands.
William Corcoran Eustis, c. 1898
While at Oatlands, Eustis became a founding member of the Loudoun Hunt and served on its board of governors. A 1906 newspaper article claimed, “Mr. Eustis is well known as a most enthusiastic hunter, and it is his intention to have a splendid stable of high class hunters at ‘Oatlands.'”
Margaret and Morton Eustis, c. 1915
Family photograph albums show the Eustis children’s love of outdoor activities at Oatlands during all seasons. Here, Margaret and Morton display their ease with equestrian pursuits.
Carriage House 1937
Once motorized vehicles became popular, the Carriage House was partially converted into a car garage. However, much of the original materials and layout remained the same. Note the concrete horse ramp and large barn door.
Chauffeur’s House, 1951
This two-story framed building was home to Harry Doe and his family. Initially a driver of horse-drawn carriages for the Eustis family, Doe was sent to Detroit around 1918 to learn how to drive the Eustis’ first automobile. Today, this structure is used as offices for Oatlands’ staff.
Pump House, 1951
This unassuming structure was built over an underground well to provide water for all of the buildings in Oatlands’ historic core.
