Relocating to Bethesda MD - Something to Do - See Clara Barton's House

When my 37 year old son was about two, I accompanied a high school classmate to the Washington Antique Show in search of furniture and furnishings for the historic Clara Barton House in Glen Echo, Maryland.  It was 1980 and the National Park Service was refurbishing Clara Barton's home in Glen Echo, which had also served as the headquarters of the American Red Cross at the turn of the 20th century.  Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, lived at this house in Glen Echo, just outside Washington, DC from 1897 until her death in 1912.  My friend was a National Park Service curator working on the opening of the new museum, and she had a list of items which she was trying to buy at the antique show, based on photographs and the inventory of items in the house while Clara Barton lived there.

While we were at the antique show, my friend found a trash can which matched the wire trash can in photos of Clara Barton's office.  The trashcan and an early office chair went home with my friend, to be delivered to the Park Service and then to the Clara Barton house at a later date.  

Fast forward 35 years, and today I finally got to the Clara Barton house.  My daughter was home from Boston for the weekend, and she was willing to go to this historic site, less than a mile from our home. Even though the house is very very close to my house, I had never gone to see the museum. I was so excited. I was on a mission to see the trash can I had not seen for 35 years and to see the inside of the Clara Barton House which is so close to my own. 

The museum is only open two days a week, and not even for a full day on either day.  We were lucky though that there was a tour at 2 pm - just 45 minutes from when we had decided that we could get the museum in to a busy day of family time. 2 pm found us sitting on the front porch of the Clara Barton house with four children, three fathers and one otherwise unattached woman.  The door opened and Ranger Dan invited us in to the house.  

Clara Barton's is a large wooden house that reminds me of a beached ark - long and angular with the roof line of an overturned boat - with a front porch tacked on for decoration.  The house was used as office space and warehouse storage in addition to being Clara Barton's house.  The building is functionally built with a large hallway running down the middle of it, which is open to the 3rd floor. There are lots of bedrooms or offices and closets to store Red Cross supplies.

There is air conditioning in only one room, and it was nearly 100 degrees today - so the tour on the 2nd and 3rd floors was very very quick!  We started in the air conditioned room on the first floor where Ranger Dan explained that the Clara Barton house is 120 years old and has suffered extensive water damage.  It is about to close for renovations and a new roof so it will be closed for a year or two.  In anticipation of the upcoming closure, all of the furniture has been removed.  All the furniture has been removed.... All the furniture? 

I waited 35 years to go to the Clara Barton house to see MY trashcan.... and it is in storage? My daughter started to laugh. I started to laugh. We continued to laugh. Ranger Dan looked concerned.  Between giggles, I explained the situation - the irony of waiting 35 years just to have the museum start a renovation!  Ranger Dan seemed relieved that we weren't laughing at him. After all, he hadn't started the tour yet. He even seemed sympathetic to our situation and the irony of the event! 

I have waited 35 years.... I can wait another 2! Like MacArthur, i will return!