Statement of Significance (as of designation - December 8, 1976):
From 1916 to 1920, this was the residence of Newton Diehl Baker (1871-1937), one of the most notable Secretaries of War. Baker presided over the nation's World War I mobilization. Under his direction, the tide of battle on the western front turned in favor of the Allies. He continued to be a major proponent of Wilson's concept of world involvement during the 1920s.