In 1702, what is now Dumbarton Oaks was known as a piece of land called the Rock of Dumbarton, owned by a colonel. Acquired 100 years later by a new owner, a house was built, the surviving parts of which still stand and serve as the center of Dumbarton Oaks today. From then, the property passed through a series of owners, until it was purchased by art collectors in 1920, eventually expanding the property to a total of 54 acres.