Dumbarton House

Founded in 1892, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the District of Columbia (NSCDA-DC) is one of 44 corporate societies across the country, with more than 15,200 individual members nationwide who are descended in their own right from an ancestor who, residing in an American colony, rendered efficient service to our country during the Colonial period and contributed to the founding of our nation. 

The objectives of NSCDA-DC are:

• to collect and preserve manuscripts, traditions, relics and mementos important to the history of the United States of America;

• to preserve and restore buildings connected with the early history of our country;

• to educate our fellow citizens and ourselves in our country's history and thus infuse healthful and intelligent information concerning the past;

• to create a popular interest in our Colonial history;

• to stimulate a spirit of true patriotism and a genuine love of country; and

• to impress upon the young the sacred obligation of honoring the memory of those historic ancestors whose ability, valor, sufferings, and achievements are beyond all praise.

As the Domicile Society, NSCDA-DC supports the NSCDA headquarters at Dumbarton House in Washington, D.C. A leader in the field of historic preservation, restoration and the interpretation of historic sites for more than a century, NSCDA promotes appreciation of the people, places and events that led to the establishment of the United States of America. NSCDA membership is handled by each society and is based on lineage and dedication to the Society’s mission.