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Consult repository for information
Lisle A. and Neitah Smith Collection on Spring Glade Farm, MSS 06-96, Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library
Gift of Ronald L. Ault, 2017
Chris Barbuschak, January 2018
EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2024
Lisle Archibald Smith was born on April 22, 1884 in Waterloo, Indiana to Irene and Archibald Thompson Smith. He graduated from Oberlin College and Columbia University Law School. During World War I, Smith served as a lieutenant in the Chemical Warfare Corps. After practicing law in Portland, Oregon, and Indianapolis, Indiana, Smith moved to Washington, D.C. and became a counsel for the Department of Agriculture. During the Roosevelt administration, Smith was appointed Assistant to the Attorney General, Homer Cummings. He later returned to the Department of Agriculture and retired in 1941.
In 1941, Smith purchased 108 acres of land from George Johnson in Vienna, Virginia. He named the farm’s two story dwelling built in c. 1840 “Spring Glade”. This was one of three dairy farms that Smith operated including a farm in Pimmit Hills which later became the site of the Pimmit Hills neighborhood. On July 20, 1942, Smith married Neitah Perkins King at the Covenant First Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. After their wedding trip to New York, the couple made their home at Spring Glade Farm which quickly became the site of many social gatherings.
Countless ambassadors, politicians, distinguished visitors, and socialites frequented the many social events and intimate dinner parties hosted by the Smiths at Spring Glade Farm. President Harry S. Truman visited Spring Glade on two occasions: once on Sunday January 15, 1950 and a second time on Saturday May 5, 1951. First Lady Bess Truman visited Spring Glade several times from 1945 to 1951. From 1941 to 1956, the Opening Hunt of the Fairfax Hunt was continuously held at Spring Glade.
The Smiths sold Spring Glade in 1959 to Randolph Rouse. Rouse gave the Smiths a life-time option of living there until their deaths or vacancy. Lisle Smith died of a heart attack on June 15, 1966, and Neitah chose to leave behind the memories she and Lisle had at Spring Glade and moved to a small apartment in Fairfax, Virginia. Neitah Smith died on February 11, 1979. In 1969, the Yeonas Corporation developed the farm into Shouse Village. Yeonas restored the Spring Glade house and sold it to private owners where it still stands today at 1442 Towlston Road, Vienna, Virginia.
The Lisle A. and Neitah Smith Collection on Spring Glade Farm consists of 0.5 linear feet, and spans the years 1944-1964, and consists of a guest book from Spring Glade Farm, photo albums, spreadsheets, photocopies of correspondence with President and Mrs. Truman, and a White House invitation card from Mrs. Truman.
The Spring Glade Farm guest book contains approximately 1,459 signatures from various celebrities, politicians, socialites, military personnel, diplomats, and foreign titulars that visited the Smiths from 1944-1960. The signatures are indexed alphabetically with the corresponding guest book page number in a spreadsheet.
The green photo album contains photos of the Smiths, social events, unidentified individuals, an unidentified ship, and an unidentified house. One identified photo from 1961 is of Mrs. Clarence Todd, Lisle A. Smith, Mrs. Ramone Eaton, Mrs. Lisle A. Smith, and Daniel Cox Fahey Jr. (on horse) at the Fairfax Hunt Grounds in Sunset Hills, Va. The album also contains autographed portraits from George W. Calver, Rear Colonel (MC) USN; Brig. Gen. Joseph F. Battley, GSC U.S. Army; and an unidentified NBC radio announcer “Dutch”.
The maroon “Neitah and Lisle” photo album contains scenes at Spring Glade Farm, the Fairfax Hunt, the Smiths, social events, unidentified individuals, and horses. Also identified is an autographed portrait from U.S. Senator Alexander Wiley, a portrait of Ambassador Charles W. Sawyer; and a photo of Lisle Smith, Russell Stewart and Estler Palmer.
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