The Carr family traces their family history to John Carr (1684-1794) who, born in Scotland, moved first with his family to Ireland before settling in Pennsylvania and finally Loudoun County (then Fairfax). John Calhoun Carr (1849-1915) was the great-grandson of John Carr, and he married his second wife Dora Gott (1860-1929) in 1883. Dora, the daughter of Dr. Thomas Norris Gott of Poolesville, MD (1818-1903), gave the estate the name Eastern View soon after 1890, though the structure is now known as East View Farm.

Eastern View's beginnings may have been as early as 1750 and constructed by the original John Carr when he moved to Loudoun County. Alternatively, the house could have been built by John's son Thomas (1733-1796) around 1780. Thomas Carr's son, also named Thomas (1771-1828), inherited the home in 1796, to which he added the two-story addition on the right side of the house. Ownership passed to Thomas Jr.'s daughter Martha (1814-1893) who married her first cousin Josephus Carr (1813-187), and then to their son John Calhoun Carr, who moved to Eastern View after his first marriage in 1883. Records state that Eastern View is located three miles west of Leesburg.

John Calhoun Carr and Dora Gott Carr had first Thomas Gott Carr (1892-1952) and then Elizabeth Eugenia Carr (1894-1996). John worked as a farmer, an occupation which Thomas inherited, while Eugenia worked as a typist before marrying. Thomas would also go on to serve in both World War I and World War II. In 1895, Jerry Davis (fl. 1877-1897) and Ada Bonds (b. 1883) were in the family's employ. The Carrs owned a horse named Bill and a dog named Hicks.