The DAR Library

Tuesday morning in DC, I paid for a guided tour of the DAR Library. I was really excited to see the library, especially since I was in the middle of the application process for joining the DAR.

I wore a dress as I felt it was an occasion that you should dress up for! LOL I kept thinking about the story that my Grandma Carol told me about her Grandmother Ella joining when she was a little girl. She told me that she would sometimes join her Grandma at the DAR Chapter House in Buffalo and that she was spoken to about being on her best behavior while there and that it was a white glove affair. I kept thinking how much Grandma would get a kick of me joining and that she would probably join with me and that we could’ve gone to the DAR Library together. I miss her.

My Grandma Carol sitting with her grandmother, Ella Webb Whittaker.

The DAR Building was so pretty and impressive!

The building seemed to be at least two buildings connected and then maybe a third for the big Constitution Hall that I didn’t get to see. The marble part that I am standing in front of in the picture above was where the library was located along with many of the state rooms and pretty marble staircases.

The clock! The library was once a theatre. Above the clock was the balcony seating.

I love how bright and clean it looks. The lights on the tables are pretty.

The DAR Insignia on the Wall. You can see a nail to hang something underneath. In a video that I watched, there is usually a portrait hanging there. I wonder if it was out for cleaning.

The box seats of the old theatre now part of the library.

I think the DAR library was held in this room for sometime before it out-grew the space.

This is a great video about the history of the library and it shows a pictures of the rooms that the library was held before it was moved to the auditorium. The picture that I think looks like the room pictured above is at 3:20 in the video.

There were many rooms that a state was in charge of decorating. I’m not usually into history as much as genealogy, but I loved these rooms. I thought of my ancestors that lived during the time the room was decorated for and I felt a real connection. I kept thinking how I wished that Mom was there with me as she would’ve loved it, too. This is the room that was decorated by New York State.

Each room had a card describing the scene.

Many of the rooms had musical instruments.

The second building that was attached contained many different offices and a gallery. It seemed to be newer construction. It also held their computer research room.

There was a two-room quilt gallery being displayed. Again, Mom would’ve loved this!

They had the applications of the four founders posted on the wall.

At the end of the second building, I think I crossed into the third building where the Constitution Hall is. We weren’t allowed to see it as it was being set up for a function. There was a chapel around where I think the second and third building connected.

At the top of the staircase above the chapel.

This is where I think I was in the third building that had the huge auditorium. There was a big presentation room.

I had a great time exploring the DAR Library! I can’t wait to go again and hopefully bring my Mom so that she can see all of the neat things that I did.