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Wilkins Estate at Parklawn Cemetery

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

This historic mansion on the grounds of Parklawn Cemetery was once the summer of home John F Wilkins, the Washington Post publisher. The Georgian Revival home was built in 1917, with the carriage house in 1925, by the famous architect John Russell Pope, who also completed buildings such as the National Archives Building and Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Wilkins estate at one point was much larger, reaching all the way to Rockville Pike, where there was a gatehouse at the intersection of Randolph Road and Rockville Pike (demolished in 1976). Currently, the mansion serves as the offices of the Parklawn Cemetery.

Images

The Wilkins Residence built 1917

Sky, Building, Window, Plant

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Wilkins residence was built by Robert C Wilkins, on approximately 409 acres of land. The house was conveyed to John F Wilkins in August of 1918, and on the land, the Wilkins ran a horse farm. In 1925, the carriage house east of the house was built. The house itself is a two-and-a-half-story 5 bay dwelling. The ground floor has an entrance hall, living room, dining room, and card room, and the second floor features 5 bedrooms. The servent wing has a servent dining room and 6 servant bedrooms.

After the death of Wilkins in 1947, his estate sold the house and land to Norwood Land Co, Inc, which sold the land to the North Washington Cemetery Inc in 1955. In 1958, the cemetery became known as Parklawn Cemetery.

Sources

Maryland Historical Trust Determination of Eligibility Form, Maryland Historical Trust. Accessed March 29th 2021. https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/Montgomery/M;%2030-1.pdf.

Clare Lise Kelly, Places from the Past: The Tradition of Gardez Bien in Montgomery County, Maryland (Silver Spring, Md.: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, 2001), 287, accessed March 29, 2021, https://montgomeryplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Places-from-the-Past-web_with_cover.pdf.

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