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• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00280R000300370011-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: September 29, 1989
• Content Type: MISC

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/24: CIA-RDP91-00280R000300370011-9
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ITEM OF INTEREST
History of the Scattergood-Thorne Property
Northern Virginia was a peaceful, rural area at the turn of the century, made up of small towns,
bound together by country roads winding through large areas of farmland. This paper focuses on
the history of one 32.2 acre parcel of land situated in Langley, Virginia, and-known to us as the
Scattergood-Thorne Property.
The history of Scattergood-Thorne, 6200 Georgetown Pike, would be incomplete without an
introduction to its former occupants, Miss Margaret Scattergood and Miss Florence C. Thorne,
who resided in the residence for more than a half century.
During a period in history when most women were limited to housewife/mother roles, Misses
Scattergood and Thorne made their marks on society through worthy contributions in the fields
of social and political reform. Pioneers in leading the way for women's rights, they obtained their
college degrees and entered the business world at a time when women had not yet won the right
to vote. Although their accomplishments are significant and notable, even by today's standards,
neither considered herself a leader in the equal-rights-for-women movement.
The next several paragraphs will acquaint you with the two women for whom Scattergood-
Thorne is named.
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Born into a Quaker family in 1894, Miss
Margaret Scattergood spent her entire lifetime
striving to help humanity advance in the areas
of racial equality and world peace. After
graduating from Bryn Mawr College in 1917
at the age of 23, she proceeded to devote her
energies to serving others and continued this
practice throughout her life.
Miss Scattergood began her life of service to
others by devoting the next nine years, from
1917 through 1926, to the newly formed
American Friends Service Committee
(AFSC), a Quaker relief organization. In 1917
she went to Mareuil-le-Port, France, with
AFSC in one of the first World War I relief
units to assist in post-war rehabilitation
projects. As the War was ending and French
farmers returned to their land to find their
homes and farms destroyed, the men of the
AFSC worked to rebuild homes, while the
women worked to provide the French families
with beds, clothing and other supplies. She
remained abroad, working with the AFSC for
several years.
In 1926, Miss Scattergood began her career
with the American Federation of Labor (AFL)
in Washington, D.C., once again, as a
volunteer. (This was prior to the AFL merger
with the Congress of Industrial Organizations,
making it the AFL-CIO.) She later became an
employee of the AFL as a member of their
first research staff. It was at this time that
Miss Scattergood became acquainted with
Miss Florence Thorne, who had been
appointed Director of Research, AFL. This
marked the beginning of their life-long
friendship. Miss Scattergood spent the next
25 years of her life as a Research Assistant
working side-by-side with Miss Thorne in the
AFL Labor Research Department.
After retiring from the AFL in 1952, she
continued to work tirelessly, crusading for
racial equality and world peace by remaining
active in the AFSC and by working for a
McLean racial unity organization, Neighbors
for a Better Community. In 1979 her work
with Neighbors for a Better Community
earned her the Fairfax County Human Rights
Award.
Miss Scattergood was a founding member
of the Langley Hill Meeting Quaker Church
and she played an active role in the church
until she was well into her eighties.
Although not of an aggressive nature, Miss
Margaret Scattergood was strong in her own
quiet way. Her real strength was her
determination. This is evidenced throughout
her life beginning with her acquisition of a
college degree at a time when few women
graduated from college and documented by
feats accomplished consistently thereafter,
such as venturing to Paris on her own in 1917,
volunteering to perform research for the AFL
in 1926, actively participating in founding the
Quaker Church in Langley, and earning the
Fairfax County Human Rights Award in
1979.
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Miss Scattergood died on 7 November 1986
at the age of 92. She left no immediate family.
Miss Florence Calvert Thorne has a very
colorful history which could easily fill the
pages of a book. She was born in Hannibal,
Missouri in 1877. Although the Thorne family
originally came from New York State, her
Grandfather Thorne went down to Georgia as
a civil engineer for the Georgia Central
Railroad, liked it there, bought land, and
became a cotton planter. Her father was a
native of Georgia and fought for the
Confederacy during the Civil War. Her
mother was a direct descendent of Sir George
Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore of Maryland.
Miss Thorne began her studies at Oberlin
College, however, left college prior to
graduating in order to teach high school. She
taught history, English, and civics in the
public school system in Hannibal from 1902
until 1912 and completed her undergraduate
education through summer sessions at the
University of Chicago, obtaining her B.A.
degree in 1909.
During her last undergraduate session at
Chicago, Miss Thorne was introduced to
American trade unionism. She chose "The
American Federation of Labor in Politics," as
her thesis topic and during the research
process managed to interview Mr. Samuel
Gompers, founder and then president of the
AFL. This interview resulted in the career
opportunity of a lifetime! Her career with the
AFL had been launched.
Mr. Gompers was so impressed with the
research that she conducted for her thesis that
he offered her the position of Assistant Editor
of The Federation ist publication. Miss Thorne
accepted the position and served in this
capacity from 1912 until 1917, becoming Mr.
Gompers' confidential assistant, speech
writer?and often ghost writer.
She left the AFL, much to Mr. Gompers'
disappointment, when the U.S. entered World
War I, in order to work for the Department of
Labor, however, returned to the AFL when
the War ended and resumed her work there.
Beginning in 1919, she spent five years
researching and ghost writing his
autobiography. Mr. Gompers died in 1924,
prior to the book's completion and Miss
Thorne wrote and signed the last chapter. The
book was published and her help in its
preparation is acknowledged in the foreword.
After Mr. Gompers' death, Miss Thorne
continued to work at the AFL under the new
President, Mr. William Green. Mr. Green
supported her interest in research, and in
1926 Miss Thorne put together a volunteer
research staff which initiated the first
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unemployment reporting by local unions.
(Prior to this time no unemployment statistics
were available.) In 1933 she was appointed
Research Director of the first paid AFL
research staff. Miss Thorne served in this
capacity until her retirement from the AFL in
1952, shortly after George Meany became
AFL president.
In addition to her involvement in the
writing of Samuel Gompers' autobiogfaphy,
Miss Thorne authored her own book entitled
Samuel Gompers?American Statesman. Miss
Thorne is listed in the book, Notable
American Women for her accomplishments
with the AFL.
Miss Thorne died on 16 March 1973 at the
age of 95.
Beginning in 1926, Misses Scattergood and
Thorne developed a working relationship and
friendship that lasted a lifetime. On 29
August 1933, seeking refuge from the long
hours and demands of their days at the AFL,
they jointly purchased a stately home on 21
acres of land located in Langley, Virginia. The
house was built circa 1926. Two years after
acquiring the house, in 1935, Miss
Scattergood purchased an additional 11.2
acres adjoining their property, giving them a
total of 32.2 acres. Their home soon became
known as "Calvert House" and the Calvert
family crest adorned the main entrance for
nearly half a century.
In addition to Calvert House, there is a
tenant house, an office-apartment, a garage,
barn, studio-type building, and another small
structure which was possibly used for storage.
The terrain consists of gently rolling slopes
with tall, mature Pine and Oak trees and
shrubbery that not only protect the house
from the main highways, but offer almost
total seclusion from the CIA Headquarters
Compound.
Calvert was a gracious, accommodating
home in the days of the younger Misses
Scattergood and Thorne. The main house has
four bedrooms and three baths, a large front
porch extending the entire width of the house,
and a comfortable library equipped with a
fireplace. Many of the Scattergood-Thorne
books now reside in the Georgetown
University library, as does the lighted glass
statue of St. Francis of Assisi which was given
to Miss Thorne by the AFL research staff at a
dinner honoring her in 1941.
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An apple orchard, which produced enough
fruit for marketing, remains on the stretch of
land between the main house and the CIA
entrance on Route 123. There is a beautiful
barn boasting sturdy 8" x 8" supporting
beams which provided shelter for farm
animals. Miss Scattergood was a skilled
horsewoman and spent many hours riding.
Unfortunately, she suffered a horseback-
riding injury which eventually lead to the
installation of an elevator in the main house
to ensure mobility as she grew older.
On 3 May 1948, Miss Margaret Scattergood
and Miss Florence Thorne conveyed their
32.2 acres of land to the United States
Government. These two women confronted
the United States Government with the
requirement for a provision that they should
have quiet and peaceful possession of their
land for the remainder of their lives, which
was in fact provided. This provision came to
their rescue as their property, purchased for
tranquility and seclusion, became surrounded
by a bustling hub of activity. For example, in
1958 the State of Virginia Highway
Commissioner petitioned the Circuit Court of
Fairfax County, Virginia, for the right to
construct a portion of Route 123, which
would require taking approximately two acres
frontage from the Scattergood-Thorne estate.
Misses Scattergood and Thorne, the
defendants, won the case based on their life-
tenancy agreement with the U.S.
Government.
The Bureau of Public Roads, Department
of Commerce originally held the first right of
possession to the Scattergood-Thorne
property, upon the deaths of the tenants. The
CIA was eager to acquire this land as part of a
long-range plan for expansion and also to
provide a buffer between the Headquarters
Building and any public area. As early as
1958, prior to the construction of the original
CIA Headquarters Building, Agency officials
notified the Bureau of Public Roads and the
General Services Administration of CIA's
interest in the land. The CIA, however, did
not obtain the Scattergood-Thorne property
until January 1987, following the death of
Miss Margaret Scattergood.
In February of 1987 the Scattergood-
Thorne Property Use Committee began a
study to determine possible uses for the
property. Today, the tract is being developed.
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A child day-care center has been constructed on a portion of the land situated between Calvert
House and the CIA Main Entrance from Route 123. The center opened in September 1989 to
approximately 100 dependents of Agency employees.
Calvert House remains standing. It is in the process of undergoing major renovations,
including new windows, and electrical, heating and air conditioning systems.
Upon completion, the majestic doors at Calvert House will be reopened, this time to Agency
employees as a CIA Conference Center. The house will contain a series of both large and small
rooms suitable for conferencing and training. Calvert House, during the 1990s will once again be
alive with activity as a steady stream of Agency employees seek refuge from the demands of the
Headquarters environment to meet in seclusion and tranquility.
CIA Conference Center
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