If You Lived Here
Twin Oaks in Cleveland Park DC Has a Fascinating History
Clip: Season 4 Episode 2 | 2m 13sVideo has Closed Captions
Explore the remarkable history and restoration of Twin Oaks in Cleveland Park.
Explore the remarkable history and restoration of Twin Oaks, a 26-room estate built in 1888 by Gardiner Greene Hubbard on 18 lush acres in D.C. Originally passed down to Hubbard's daughter, Mabel Bell (wife of Alexander Graham Bell), and later revamped by landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman, Twin Oaks was designed to feature breathtaking gardens and serene ponds.
If You Lived Here is a local public television program presented by WETA
If You Lived Here
Twin Oaks in Cleveland Park DC Has a Fascinating History
Clip: Season 4 Episode 2 | 2m 13sVideo has Closed Captions
Explore the remarkable history and restoration of Twin Oaks, a 26-room estate built in 1888 by Gardiner Greene Hubbard on 18 lush acres in D.C. Originally passed down to Hubbard's daughter, Mabel Bell (wife of Alexander Graham Bell), and later revamped by landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman, Twin Oaks was designed to feature breathtaking gardens and serene ponds.
How to Watch If You Lived Here
If You Lived Here is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSTEPHEN: Gardiner Greene Hubbard, who was a local realtor built Twin Oaks in 1888.
Hubbard's house was about 26 rooms on about 18 acres.
The grounds of Twin Oaks were left to his daughter, Mabel.
LYNN: Mabel, who was married to Alexander Graham Bell, sold the property to a couple named the Parmaleys.
They built this estate in 1911 on the top of the hill.
And this land was completely undeveloped, so they brought on Ellen Biddle Shipman as landscape architect.
The garden was intended to provide dramatic vistas of the landscape.
We do have historic photos from the 1920s, and what you see is the very lush and intimate setting.
♪ ♪ TAMARA: So when I first came to this place, we knew there was a ton of work that we had to do to make this landscape look like it did 100 years ago.
We knew that Ellen Biddle Shipman was the vision and the spirit of the place, so we referred to her plans.
And we could see the list of plants she used, but then coming back 100 years later, you see, oh, these plants didn't make it.
Or you can see, oh, these other plants look amazing.
For instance, we have this amazing stand of rhododendrons and you couldn't plant these rhododendrons today because of climate change.
It's just simply too hot.
But since these have been here for over 100 years, they have done fantastic.
LYNN: We see in the plans and in the photos that people are walking around the pond and enjoying this area.
And we wanted to make sure when we have visitors today, they have that same experience when they visit the pond.
So to revitalize the pond area, we had to make a new bottom for the pond because the water was seeping through, we had to re-armor the sides, and then we also redid the pathway around the pond.
It was initially built just for a family and now it's open to the public 24/7.
This is a place where people can gather, feel inspired by nature, feel comforted, feel a sense of togetherness.
And that's something we really work on actively creating here.
A Charming Cape Cod with Modern Updates in Cleveland Park, DC
Video has Closed Captions
Jen and Ricardo explore a unique Cape Cod-style home in Cleveland Park, DC. (7m 7s)
Video has Closed Captions
Discover the fascinating history of Cleveland Park, DC. (3m 25s)
Jen, Ricardo, and realtor Christine Basso Fitzgerald tour three homes in Cleveland Park. (30s)
Step Inside a New Luxury Condo in Historic Cleveland Park, DC
Video has Closed Captions
Tour a stunning new-build condominium in Cleveland Park, DC. (5m 2s)
This Cleveland Park Bungalow Has Vintage Charm and Luxurious Upgrades
Video has Closed Captions
A 1927 Cleveland Park home combines vintage charm and luxurious modern upgrades. (7m 35s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipIf You Lived Here is a local public television program presented by WETA