The Civic Center Cottage in Rockville, Maryland, is a full-size playhouse. Although it was designed as a child’s retreat, the small house has survived for decades and remains part of the historic grounds of Glenview Mansion at Rockville Civic Center Park. The City of Rockville records its construction cost at $23,000, an extraordinary sum for a playhouse at the time.
A miniature house built on a grand estate
The report states that the Glenview property became a country estate belonging to the Lyon family outside Washington, D.C. Dr. James Alexander Lyon and his wife, Irene, had one daughter, Elizabeth Moore Lyon, known as Betsy, who was born in 1926. In the 1930s, Dr. Lyon came across designs for a doll’s house in a movie magazine and decided to turn the idea into a full-size playhouse for his daughter.
The outcome was certainly not just a backyard playhouse but a miniature cottage that served as a miniature house complete with residential elements, making it possible for a child to pretend he/she was living in an actual house. The historical accounts describe the cottage as having a single room with pine-paneled walls, a fireplace, a heating stove, a spiral staircase to the loft, bunk beds, and a tiny bathroom.
Deep Dive
Why did Dr. James Lyon build a full-size playhouse for Betsy Lyon?
What features did the Civic Center Cottage have?
How many miniature houses did Aaron Friedman build, and where are they displayed?
There was a fully equipped kitchen with a sink, stove, cabinet, and fridge, and there were French doors that led out to the sleeping porch. Other features of the miniature house include a bay window with window seating, corner cabinets, and a telephone connected to the intercom system of the estate. The outside view of the cottage was that of a regular small house with wooden siding, gable roof, and a stone chimney.
From a private playhouse to a public landmark
{{/usCountry}}There was a fully equipped kitchen with a sink, stove, cabinet, and fridge, and there were French doors that led out to the sleeping porch. Other features of the miniature house include a bay window with window seating, corner cabinets, and a telephone connected to the intercom system of the estate. The outside view of the cottage was that of a regular small house with wooden siding, gable roof, and a stone chimney.
From a private playhouse to a public landmark
{{/usCountry}}As Rockville transformed from being a small town to becoming a suburb of Washington, D.C., changes occurred within the property owned by the Lyon family. Following the death of Irene Lyon in 1950, Dr. Lyon started selling parts of the property to develop it. Finally, the Glenview property was bought by the Montgomery County Historical Society in 1953 and sold to the City of Rockville in 1957.
The building outlived its original purpose. Rather than having the building demolished when the ownership of the land passed from one owner to another, the cottage became part of the city’s property. In subsequent years, it served as a classroom and a place for conducting various camps and classes. The cottage has even been in operation as a gift shop run by Glenview docents for over ten years. All of these uses helped ensure that the building remained in use, although it meant that some changes had to be made in the interior. In 1999, renovations were conducted on the building to bring it back as close to its original state as possible.
A small building with a lasting history
Currently, Civic Center Cottage can be found in the formal gardens of Glenview Mansion within Rockville Civic Center Park. This park encompasses 153 acres of gardens, trails, recreational areas, a theatre, and a nature center. The cottage is now used for meetings, retreats, conferences, and small social gatherings rather than as a child’s playhouse.
The building offers a glimpse into the lives of wealthy American families in the early 20th century, when large country estates often included buildings set aside for children. This building is a perfect example of how historic buildings receive their new functions as time goes by. Its value does not rest only in the fact that it cost $23,000 to build, but in the fact that it still exists.