Foundations: The History of the DCA Property
In a recent blog post, we explored the Blount family history and the Blounts’ impact on the founding of Dublin Christian Academy in 1964.
Recent research by our Head of School Eric Moody uncovered more fascinating history of our property that precedes the Staghead Farm era.
Let’s take a look at some of the prominent owners and a famous landscape architect who influenced the property and its structures, all contributing to the DCA we know and love today.
The James Gowing Estate
The best place to start is the beginning. In 1788, James Gowing, Jr. constructed the original one-and-a-half-story Cape-style house (which now serves as DCA’s main office building), shortly after relocating to the area.
Gowing was married to Abigail Greenwood and together they raised 11 children. Their son, Almerin, was actually a local militia leader (this wasn’t too long after the American Revolutionary War) as well as a town selectman.
From there, the property would be acquired by some recognizable figures in American history.
DCA’s Other Well-Known Owners
In 1853, the property was purchased by Samuel Hale. Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, he attended public schools in his hometown before moving to Dublin where he worked in furniture manufacturing.
He would reside in Dublin for only a few years, before moving to Keene in 1859 where he continued his success in the furniture business until entering the political arena in 1866, eventually becoming New Hampshire’s 39th governor in 1883.
In 1895, the property was bought by Louis Cabot. If that last name sounds familiar, it’s because Louis was the son of Samuel Cabot, the founder of the Cabot Stain Company.
Louis’ plan for the property would resemble how the property would be used for the next several decades—as a farm. More specifically, a gentleman’s farm. For those who may not be familiar with the term, a gentleman’s farmer keeps a farm running more as a hobby as opposed to a profitable business or a main source of food for the owner.
As an additional note of interest, Cabot also had a house built on Windmill Hill Road in 1887, a stone’s throw away from DCA. The Louis Cabot House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Riker Years: Restoration and Expansion
After the turn of the century, the property unfortunately fell into a state of neglect. By the 1920s and 30s, its condition had seriously deteriorated.
However, things would turn around in the mid-30s.
Mrs. Selina Riker, the heiress to the Riker Drug fortune, acquired the property in 1937. Under Mrs. Riker’s ownership, the James Gowing Farm was not only restored to its former glory but would also receive an upgrade: building expansion using the Colonial Revival style.
The Colonial Revival Style
The Colonial Revival style came about from a spark of patriotism and a strong interest in national history. The Philadelphia Centennial of 1876 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This momentous occasion began a movement to study and bring forth among other things, recreations of original, colonial architecture from the Revolutionary War era.
This construction style remained highly popular throughout the 1940s and was the choice of Selina Riker for the farm’s expansion. She enlisted the firm of Belknap and Weir to design and construct the Colonial Revival farm complex, which was part of the restoration and expansion of the original James Gowing house.
A Distinguished Architect Finds Himself on the Farm
The construction of the new buildings was not the only improvement Riker had in mind for the farm. Plans for flower gardens and other landscaping projects were also in the works. With the means to hire an artist of great renown during her day, Mrs. Riker hired the celebrated architect Fletcher Steele.
Born in Rochester, New York in 1885, Fletcher Steele began his education largely at home, being taught by his mother. Steele recalls that this was much to his benefit as homeschooling enabled him to concentrate on his studies. His remaining pre-collegiate education was spent in private boys’ schools before graduating from Williams College in only three years.
Ever since he was a young boy, Steele was absolutely fascinated with landscape and design. This led him to attend Harvard University (despite his family’s skepticism), where he studied landscape architecture. He attended for only a few years before venturing out to “learn in the field”, as he felt there was more to be learned from experience than from education alone. From working for the esteemed landscaper Warren Manning for a time to spending four months across the pond learning about European designs, Steele was a man of great passion and drive.
Based in Boston for over 50 years, Steele traveled the country by railway, displaying his talent as a landscape designer throughout the United States. Even after retiring at age 80, he continued to design landscapes and author books as he found the stagnant pace of retirement to be boring. For over a half-century, his legacy was built through his drawings that became reality in the structures and gardens where he left his mark.
Fletcher Steele’s work has been seen throughout the property—from lattice-filled garden work to the gateways that still stand to this day. Drawings seen throughout this article were sketched by Steele himself, showing his commitment to his craft and forever leaving an artistic impression on our beloved school.
A House Built for the Generations
Nelson Blount’s vision for Dublin Christian Academy was a place where students could ground themselves in the Christian faith in a school that they could call home.
We hope that by giving our readers a chance to dig deeper into the history of the property, we could offer a well-rounded perspective on what makes DCA what it is today—from the foundations of James Gowing’s house to the foundations of a God-centered Christian school.
Please contact us if you’d like more information on this historic place that we call home.
“Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” Proverbs 24:3-4 (NKJV)
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