On Wednesday, November 16, Society Trustees David M. Rubenstein and The Honorable Theodore B. Olson, along with Professor Joel Richard Paul headlined a lively and informative Program at the Historic DACOR Bacon House. The program, which revolved around all things Supreme Court, was preceded by a reception and dinner that launched a Capital Campaign to raise funds for preservation of the Historic Building. The house is one of few remaining examples of Federal period architecture in the neighborhood.
Ties between the Bacon House and the Supreme Court date back to the days when Chief Justice John Marshall and fellow justices lived at the home dined together, and then retreated to the south parlor for discussions of upcoming cases and deliberations of argued cases.
U.S. Marshall Tech Ringgold built the home. Ownership passed to former Maryland Governor Samuel Sprigg who gave it to his daughter and her husband, William T. Carroll. Carroll, Clerk of the Court from 1828 to 1863 was killed in the Civil War. Molly Fuller, wife of Chief Justice Melville Fuller bought the house from Sally Carroll and converted the south parlor to Chief Justice Fuller’s library and office. Representative Robert Low Bacon and his wife Virginia Mary Bacon eventually purchased the house. Virginia deeded the house to DACOR upon her death.
The program will be available on the Society’s YouTube channel in the coming weeks.
From left: Society Trustee and former Counselor to the Chief Justice Jeff Minear, Society Executive Director James Duff and Society Trustee David Leitch
From left: The Honorable Theodore B. Olson, David M. Rubenstein, Joel Richard Paul