Grandview House

Grand View, home of Jacob M. and Ann Walton Troth, was built in 1859, and aptly named for the beautiful view it commands of the original Woodlawn plantation and the Potomac River. It is one of the oldest surviving Quaker Houses in the Woodlawn area. President and Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes once visited Grand View in June 1878 following a visit to Mount Vernon and Woodlawn plantation. At the turn of the century, Sally Troth Anthony operated a general merchandise store at Grand View. The house is a modest farm home, typical of the period and area, with brick foundations and weatherboard siding. It has a Greek Revival entrance and a simple bay window to the south. The chimney on the south wing is capped with a brick Gothic arch.

When the Troth-Gillingham Company purchased Woodlawn Plantation in 1846, they brought with them Quaker anti-slavery and pro-education ideals. The Troth-Gillingham Co.’s “free labor” project and ties to the wider Quaker community attracted a number of Quaker families to the area, each of whom made their own contribution to Woodlawn’s historic landscape.

One of those contributions is Grandview, also once known as the Jacob Troth House. Built in 1859 by Joseph Mosher Wood, Grandview is a two-story home with Quaker Vernacular and Greek Revival elements that sits just South of Woodlawn mansion. Joseph M. Wood and his wife, Elizabeth, lived at Woodlawn for approximately four years (1866-70), during which time they played a major role in founding Quaker-run schools for the newly emancipated African American community. After the Wood family returned to Pennsylvania, the home was occupied by Jacob and Ann Troth and their family. The Troths were (both literally and figuratively) central to the Woodlawn community, with Grandview Farm being the dividing line between the Quaker Meeting House and Woodlawn Mansion. While residing at Grandview, Jacob Troth worked with prominent figures like Lucretia Mott to advance the cause of universal suffrage.

President and Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes once visited Grandview in June 1878 following a visit to Mount Vernon and Woodlawn. At the turn of the century, Sally Troth Anthony operated a general merchandise store at Grand View.

Today, Grandview operates as private housing, and it is not open to the public.