21 HIGH STREET · BROOKEVILLE, MARYLAND
Dolley Madison was raised in the Quaker tradition before marrying James Madison, who would later become the fourth President of the United States. On August 24, 1814, as British forces advanced on Washington, she refused to leave the President’s House until Gilbert Stuart’s celebrated portrait of George Washington had been removed from its frame and carried to safety. Her calm resolve during one of the nation’s most uncertain moments became one of the enduring stories of the War of 1812.
The Dolley Suite bears her name.
Dolley Payne was born in 1768 into a Quaker community, where simple living, shared meals, and close-knit neighbors shaped her earliest idea of home. As a young woman she left the Society of Friends when she married James Madison in 1794, and was formally disowned for marrying outside the faith. Still, many of the habits and relationships formed in that world stayed with her.
In Washington, Dolley became renowned for her hospitality. She used conversation, careful seating, and candlelit gatherings to bring together people who did not always agree, offering a sense of steadiness in unsettled times. Her parlor was less a stage for heroics than a place where differences could soften, at least for an evening, around a shared table. Among her closest companions in that world was Margaret Bayard Smith, the writer who chronicled early Washington and remained a lifelong friend.
During the War of 1812, when British troops burned Washington, President Madison fled north into Maryland. As the government scattered, Brookeville offered what a fleeing capital needed most, a place easily reached on the road yet set safely aside from the enemy’s advance, in a quiet Quaker valley that one refugee described as all security and peace. There the President found refuge in the home of Caleb and Henrietta Bentley.
History leaves the personal threads of that night pleasantly uncertain. Some accounts describe a friendship between Dolley and Henrietta Bentley, while others question whether the two women knew one another at all. What we do know is that Dolley’s world was already present in Brookeville. Her dear friend Margaret Bayard Smith had fled to the very same house days earlier, and it is her family’s account that tells us how beds were spread in the parlour and guards kept watch through the night. Whether the path to the Bentleys ran through Henrietta, or through Margaret, or simply through the trust these Quaker households had earned, the President found shelter here. The next day his Secretary of State, James Monroe, rejoined him and they returned together to the capital. The Bentley home would also be remembered as a station on the Underground Railroad, a reminder that some in this community quietly pushed against the injustices of their time.
The Dolley Suite at Madison Manor holds these layers gently. It honors the welcoming table, the calm host, and the courage to offer refuge when the world feels uncertain, while leaving space for guests to reflect on the more complicated truths beneath the surface. Here, we invite you to rest and gather in a space that is warm and elegant, and to imagine what it means for hospitality to be just a little more generous, and a little more just, than it once was.
Inspired by the warmth and hospitality of Dolley Madison, The Dolley Suite is a residence where timeless architecture, welcoming spaces, and enduring craftsmanship come together to create a home designed for gathering, connection, and everyday living.
Situated on a private homesite in the heart of Brookeville, The Dolley Suite offers a peaceful setting that balances neighborhood charm with a sense of quiet retreat. Thoughtfully positioned within Madison Manor, the residence provides an inviting backdrop for family life and gracious entertaining.
Designed in the tradition of the American Four Square, The Dolley Suite reflects an architectural style celebrated for its balanced proportions, welcoming front porch, and thoughtfully organized interiors. Emerging at the turn of the twentieth century, the Four Square became known for its practicality, quiet elegance, and enduring craftsmanship. Its gracious scale and emphasis on hospitality make it a fitting expression of the warmth, dignity, and sense of home that define the spirit of Dolley Madison.
Throughout history, a welcoming home has been more than a place to live. It has been a place to gather, to celebrate, to find comfort, and to create lasting memories. The Dolley Suite carries that tradition forward with inviting indoor and outdoor spaces designed for conversation, hospitality, and the simple joy of sharing life with others.
The Dolley Suite is the estate for the buyer who entertains.
It is the most symmetrical of the four homes – the most classically composed, the most generous in its public spaces. The dining room and the kitchen are designed as one connected experience, with the wine cellar as their quiet anchor. The wraparound porch is sized for long evenings.
The right buyer for The Dolley Suite is someone whose home is the home everyone gathers at. The holidays. The birthdays. The dinner that turns into a longer dinner.
