When buying a house on 30 wooded acres in northern Virginia, the last thing you can expect to get is a nosy neighbor.
But after Margaret Scattergood and Florence Thorne move into their new home in 1933, they get more than they bargained for – an entire campus full of spies.
“We’re trying to make sure that we don’t impede or encroach on life too much,” said CIA Public Affairs Officer Janelle Neises, who has been a house historian. “We try to treat them as part of the organization while allowing them to live separately at the same time.”
“In fact, many of our officers became friends especially Margaret at the end of her life,” he said. “They’ll come out and see if they need help working the yard, or if they need help getting groceries.”
The woman lived in the house for more than ten years, hosting family members and hosting events like weddings, dinners and birthday parties. They called their property, which is surrounded by rolling vegetable gardens and lush orchards, “The Calvert Estate.”
Then, in the late 1940s, the US government arrived.
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The Federal Highway Administration began buying up land – at the time mostly farmland – in McLean, Virginia. Scattergood and Thorne made a deal with the government, selling the house and grounds for $55,000 – but demanding to be allowed to live on the property.
At the time, the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was located in downtown Washington, DC, in a section of the city called Foggy Bottom. The agency took over the building of its predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which was established in 1942, during World War II. Shortly after the OSS was disbanded, the CIA was established in 1947.
“It became very clear in the 1950s that we needed more space,” Neises said. “Director (Allen) Dulles really wanted us to be in a safe environment…He found this land and thought it was the perfect place to build a new CIA headquarters.”
Neises said the area was attractive because of the relative safety it would provide CIA employees — set back in a wooded area, with the Potomac River on one side — while still being close to Washington, DC, where officials must be briefed. policy makers and presidents.
The agency began moving employees to the Headquarters Building in 1961.
“So, as crazy as it sounds, we have this family, these two women, and sometimes their family members, living in a secure complex,” Neises said.
“I don’t know of any other intelligence community partners — the FBI or the State Department or the (National Security Agency) that have homeowners who actually live on their property while they’re on a mission,” he said. “So that’s something very unique.”
Nick Blanchet, Scattergood’s nephew, is one of the family members. For several years in his 30s, he lived with “Aunt Marge” on the property.
“I love tea time, it’s sherry time for Aunt Marge,” she said with a laugh. “He likes to have a glass of sherry.”
Blanchet recalls several intimate family moments – including a wedding in 1983 – on the grounds of the property, all with the CIA developing its campus right next door.
“It’s a beautiful place,” he said. “It’s very personal, but I think the CIA can understand what’s going on,” he said, laughing.
Asked why he thought that, he shot back, “Because he’s the CIA!”
Neises denied officials ever spied on women.
“We have officers who still remember Margaret and talk about her,” he said, “It’s just friendship.”
A devout Quaker and a fluent French speaker, Scattergood traveled to France to help refugees during World War I. After the war ended, he drove a truck full of rabbits and chickens to refugee areas. As a teenager, he drove around the United States in a Ford Model T, with four tires mounted on top.
“I asked him about driving in the country, I asked him why there were so many tires,” said Blanchet, “And he said, ‘Well, there’s no garage. If you get a flat, you have to fix it. It’s your own!'”
“She was an extraordinary woman, a pioneer in the labor movement,” Neises said. “They both went to college in the late 1800s, which was kind of a big deal for the time.”
After Scattergood met Thorne, in 1926, the two fought for workers’ rights in the American Federation of Labor (AFL).
“Florence was interesting because the work she did at the AFL actually led to legislation for Social Security, workers’ compensation, and really made a difference in terms of child labor laws,” Neises said. “These are two women who are looking not only for adventure, but to make the world a better place.”
After Thorne’s death in 1973, at the age of 95, family stories say that Scattergood opened the door for political refugees known as the Sandinistas from Nicaragua, where, at the time, the CIA was secretly supporting an opposing rebel group – the Contras.
“There are rumors that the Sandinistas are showing up at the CIA,” Neises said. “We have no record of anyone actually coming to the complex.”
“(M)yeah they tried, but there’s nothing in the record that says they came here and met with Margaret,” he went on to add, “…but it wouldn’t surprise me if Margaret helped someone she thought needed help. “
While Scattergood, a pacifist, held views that strained some of the CIA’s activities at the time, his family and CIA officials say his relationship with the agency was not without controversy.
“(I)n fact, Director (William) Casey invited Margaret to celebrate her 90th birthday in the dining room,” Neises said.
When Scattergood died in 1986, at the age of 92, the CIA officially took over his house and grounds.
For a while, CIA Deputy Director David Cohen said: “It’s going to the dogs.”
“This is the location for our K-9 unit,” he explained. “They have trouble outside. Then, at home, we will plant fake explosives for the dogs to identify and find.”
“We rely on these dogs here, in the complex, but also outside, to keep the officers safe,” he said.
“(T)he floor was just destroyed by the dog,” Neises said. “(Y)ou can imagine all the scratches there are, walking up those nice stairs.”
After about ten years of living with canine residents, the house fell into disrepair. It was close to demolition, until “Mike M.”, a senior officer, and director of CIA support, intervened.
“I think Mike knew the history of this beautiful house and saw that it could be a very useful place for the agency…
After an archeological study was completed to ensure that it was structurally sound, the house was renovated from top to bottom. The upstairs bedroom now looks more like a meeting room; The family kitchen is now outfitted for professionals.
But some things remain original, including the large central banister, wrought-iron windows, and a small secret place in the basement where part of the original foundation is kept. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historical landmark, according to Neises.
Only one door in the house remained locked. Officials say the back is a functional office for onsite support staff – denying it hides the sprawling Situation Room or other secret CIA artifacts.
In 2004, the house was reopened, and named: “Scattergood-Thorne Conference Center.” The first event held on the field was a ribbon cutting with Director George Tenet and about 50 guests.
The second is Mike M’s retirement ceremony.
In 2005, every living CIA director had a “farewell ceremony” for the title of “Director of Central Intelligence.” The director’s title was changed to “Director of the Central Intelligence Agency” after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence was established after the September 11 attacks.
“You have everyone from President George Bush ’41 to the current director,” Neises said. “Before they came home, they met on the seventh floor, which is the director’s office … and they took the shuttle bus home.”
The property played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was secured for use as an office by Deputy Director Vaughn Bishop.
“They decided to keep the top two, the director and the deputy and their staff (safe), we have to separate because… “And to make it safer, we have Vaughn move to the Scattergood house.”
“At one point, he was baking a cake in the kitchen,” she said. “You know, you can’t do it on the seventh floor, you can’t just walk into the kitchen and put some cookies in the oven.”
The home also serves as a special home for President Biden’s Transition Team.
“(Y)ou have outgoing team members and incoming team members who also have to go out for meetings and briefings,” Neises said. “And having this house keeps everyone from going in and out of the main headquarters building, where most of our workforce is, and keeps them safer.”
Today, the property is used for strategic meetings, including the Senior Leadership Seminar chaired by CIA Director William Burns, as well as annual meetings with agency station leaders from around the world.
“Scattergood lends itself to being a place where conversations happen because there are no phones, no computers, no distractions. And all we have is human interaction and talking,” said Neises. “(W)hen you add the different types of people that are here at Scattergood…you get some of the most interesting and important conversations happening in this country.”
“There have been several important dinners and other events that have been held here for foreign visitors,” Cohen said, although he declined to name or confirm specific guests.
While most visitors and events today remain a secret, the house is a reminder of the trailblazing women whose names and legacies live on.
“I think Margaret and Florence would appreciate the fact that the CIA is taking care of the house,” Neises said. “We can bring it back to its former glory.”
“And what happens inside the house, I hope to respect the human relations that are tried here,” he added, “If the people who come to this house love this country … have the intention of making the world safer .”
