DACOR Bacon House History: Academic Library




Most Recent Articles



Alida Carroll and Music at DACOR Bacon House in the 19th Century

Oct 13 2025
On October 5, 2025, a program of music was presented in the drawing rooms of DACOR Bacon House by the Washington Revels Heritage Voices, a professional musical group based in the District of Columbia which specializes in the performance of traditional music. The program included songs, waltzes, and tunes, some of which were drawn from a volume of Alida Carroll’s sheet music and others from well-known nineteenth-century song collections. The singers also sang some African Americans melodies in remembrance of people who were enslaved in the house between 1825, when it was built, and 1862 when they were freed. The program also included a waltz or “ripple” written to honor Sally Countess Esterhazy, Alida’s older sister, which was debuted in 1891 in Washington and not performed in the city since 1892. The program was part of the bicentennial celebration of the house and its occupants.



Jimmy Jackson, Mars Carroll, and the Spook in the Pantry

Oct 6 2025
James Jackson, known as Jimmy, was the long-time and much-trusted servant of Mrs. Sally Carroll. He worked for her at least thirty years, maybe longer, certainly from 1870 until her death in 1895. Little is known about the hired help of workers in the Carroll household. Two instances in his life are known from newspaper accounts, which make Jimmy’s life an exception to the rule. One involved the death of his father; the other, a story about the (absence of) spook in the pantry.


Virginia Murray Bacon's Life at 1801 F Street

Sep 29 2025
Virginia Murray Bacon had a special relationship with 1801 F Street, where she presided for half a century as wife of a Congressman, patron of the arts and one of Washington's premier salonnieres right up to her death in 1980. In honor of the 200th anniversary of the DACOR Bacon House, this article explores Bacon's 57-year tenure at the house, how she cared for it, why she loved it so much, and what impelled her to dedicate it to the cause of diplomacy and international understanding.

For a searchable database of all posts, click here.



Please help us preserve The DACOR Bacon House
as a place where American history will continue to be written.
Thank you for your generosity.



Our Authors


Terence Walz is the resident historian at DACOR Bacon House. He is a historian of modern Egyptian history with a doctorate from Boston University. He is the author and editor of two published books and has recently contributed articles to the Journal of Supreme Court History and the website of the White House Historical Association. Dr. Walz’s work in international organizations led him to the DACOR Bacon House where he has been a member for six years. He has taken on the task of researching and documenting the history of the DACOR home, its history, and its inhabitants, particularly the first one hundred years. This archive is a growing collection of his work.



Elizabeth Warner, a lawyer by training and DACOR member, is researching the life of Virginia Murray Bacon, the last private owner of the DACOR Bacon House from 1925 to 1980. She is an adjunct professor at New England College, where she designs and teaches courses in law and political science. A long-term resident of the Washington, D.C. area, she also lived and worked throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia for 14 years, often in extremely challenging environments. In addition to articles about Mrs. Bacon, she has published material on human rights, international law and other subjects. Ms. Warner has law degrees from the University of Michigan and Georgetown University.