Salona, Fairfax County, VirginiaAnderson, Ellen L.
History
Salona, Fairfax County, Virginia
Anderson, Ellen L.
Salona (McLean, Va.)
The first of three tracts was purchased from the Smoot heirs in
January, 1953, and the DuVals spent about a year extensively
renovating the house and grounds before they moved in. Without
specific descriptions of the original house to use as guidelines,
they attempted to preserve as much as possible of the presumed
original dwelling while adapting it to modern living.[119]
Both of the DuVals are descendants of French Huguenots who immigrated
to New Amsterdam in the late eighteenth century. Both were born in
New York City. One of Mrs. DuVal's grandfathers was Jesse Metcalf, a
United States senator from Rhode Island, and her father was Frederic
H. Bontecow, a New York state senator. As other residents of Salona
had been before them, the DuVals were well educated, above the
average level of Fairfax County residents. Mrs. DuVal is a graduate
of Vassar, DuVal of Yale University Law School. And like some of
their predecessors, their income, cultural interests and extent of
community involvement are also well above the average for the time in
which they live.[120]
The DuVal family arrived in Fairfax County during a period when the
population growth was expanding rapidly, both from in-migration and
natural increase. With them the couple brought their three children,
Susan Lynde (Lyn), Clive, III, and David. Daniel, their fourth, was
born in 1953. Their experience was a reflection of the times--in the
1950 U. S. Census, Fairfax County's population was 98,557; in 1960,
it had increased to 248,897.[121]
[Illustration: _The DuVal family, about 1957. Left to right Daniel,
Susan Lynde, Clive II, Susan, David and Clive III. The English
setters, Christmas, Dusty and Belle, are also "members of the
family."_]
Also reflecting the Washington metropolitan area's typical experience
in the 1950s, DuVal came from elsewhere to accept employment with the
federal government, in his case, as Assistant General Counsel
(International Affairs) for the Department of Defense. He was,
typically, a World War II veteran, a former officer in the United
States Navy. From 1955 to 1959, he was general counsel for the United
States Information Agency. Since then, he has been in the private
practice of law. As did the majority of married women with children
in the decades 1950-1970, in Fairfax County, Mrs. DuVal stayed at
home with the children rather than taking a regular outside job,
except for her many volunteer projects in which she was regularly
involved in the McLean community.[122]
Salona became a place of hospitality, where social, political, arts
and educational events were held. The Woman's Club of McLean, the
McLean House Tour, the McLean Ballet Company, Children's Hospital,
the Fairfax YWCA, the McLean Boys Club, the Northern Virginia
Democratic Women's Club, Yale University students and the Historical
Society of Fairfax County, were among the many beneficiaries of the
DuVals' generosity in making Salona available for special
events.[123]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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