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National Park Service to study new designation for Dodona Manor

LOUDOUN TIMES MIRROR, February 27, 2020
LOUDOUN TIMES MIRROR: National Park Service to study new designation for Dodona Manor

By Nathaniel Cline

The National Park Service is moving forward to conduct a reconnaissance survey to evaluate the suitability of designating the George C. Marshall House in Leesburg, known as Dodona Manor, as an “affiliated area.”

Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) and U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) requested to study the manor in November.

An “affiliated area” designation would provide technical assistance from NPS, increased visibility and drive traffic to the home through greater awareness provided by the designation, according to Wexton's office.

"The Marshall House offers a unique window into our history, having been an integral part of the Leesburg community for over two centuries, and today it offers important educational programs for visitors. This historic place deserves to be recognized and celebrated,” Wexton, Kaine and Warner said in a prepared statement.

Dodona is already registered as a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior and has been designated by the commonwealth as a Virginia Landmark.

Gen. Marshall is considered America's greatest general by some historians. He served as chief of staff to the Army during America’s entry into World War II and then as secretary of state, where he orchestrated the historic Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe following the war. He later served as secretary of defense after the onset of the Korean War.

Marshall was dubbed the “organizer of victory” by Winston Churchill for his work marshaling the massive Allied deployment of military resources, according to the Associated Press. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for the Marshall Plan.

The manor, which he lived in from 1943 until his death in 1959, is located north of East Market Street and south of Edwards Ferry Road in Leesburg. It currently hosts international exchanges, historical exhibits, community events and educational programming about Marshall and his family's life.

Marshall and his wife, Katherine, purchased the Leesburg property in 1941 as a weekend retreat, according to George C. Marshal International Center Board of Directors Chairman Stephen Chapin, Jr.

“While living at Dodona Manor he received world dignitaries including President Truman and Madam Chiang Kai-shek; served as the ‘organizer of victory’ during World War II and created the Marshall Plan resulting in his selection as the only career military officer to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953," Chapin said. "This National Park Service designation will ensure the preservation of this important home for future generations.”