Meet Your Neighbor: Dr. Margaret Salazar-Porzio Envisions an Oatlands for All
Story by Kaitlin Hill
With a Ph.D. in American studies and ethnicity from the University of Southern California and a resume that includes research scholar at Columbia University Law School, 12 years as a curator at the Smithsonian, and deputy director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, Dr. Margaret Salazar-Porzio’s reputation might be as intellectually intimidating as the institutions that have shaped her. However, while undeniably sharp, Salazar-Porzio, who prefers “Margie,” is intensely inviting and infectiously warm — two qualities that are obvious in her strategic planning in her new role as executive director of Oatlands Historic House & Gardens.
“I had been feeling like I was getting further and further away from community and being in the work,” she says of her decision to take the position. “Then I saw this job offering at Oatlands and thought, ‘What an exciting new possibility.’”
Her shift from museum corridors to the halls of historic houses not only played to her career strengths, but offered her the opportunity to, as she says, “work with the community of descendants of people who have lived, labored, and loved here,” as well as the National Trust to develop a stewardship strategy so the next generation and beyond can experience and enjoy Oatlands.
“If there is something we can do to support our community, we would love to do it.” –Salazar-Porzio
Just a few months into her new role, for Salazar-Porzio, that work started with “learning and listening” and has developed into an all-encompassing mission of historic preservation and future programming.
At Oatlands, preservation comes in two forms: structural and storytelling. During an October 9 meet and greet at the estate, Salazar-Porzio pointed out the greenhouse that was being restored before turning her sights on the mansion’s over 200-year-old columns, which are her next project.
Restoration also looks like rejuvenation, making the land a resource for locals. She explains, “This is 418 acres of really amazing landscape, some of which has been over-farmed. We would really like to lean into stewarding the land in a different way for what is needed today.” With that in mind, Oatlands leases land to Wegmeyer Farms for strawberries and, she adds, “we are working with Brookfield Dairy. Greg is amazing. He is helping us reintroduce nutrients into the land and then he’ll hay it for his cattle.” She continues, “We really want to be a resource to farmers, especially up-and-coming farmers, because we have the land. If there is something we can do to support our community, we would love to do it.”
For Salazar-Porzio, community engagement also plays an essential role in preserving the stories of Oatlands and shaping the next chapter. She says, “We have an amazing staff on our interpretation team who already started the process. And working with the descendant community is essential.” Additionally, “We have an amazing advisory council, where there’s a seat for the Carter descendants, the Eustis descendants, and a seat for the descendants of those who were enslaved on the property. They are important voices.”
Looking to the future for Oatlands, “I really want to create a youth advisory council,” Salazar-Porzio shares. “We have started the conversation with young folks who have run cross-country here or taken prom photos here. We’ve asked them what they would like to see from us and what programs we can offer to bring the next generation into the fold.”
Expanded programming is an important part of making Oatlands a place of interest for the evolving demographics of Loudoun County, especially young families. In addition to bringing the Loudoun Sketch Club back, there are plans for art galleries, themed teas (notably for Halloween, Christmas, and in the style of “Downton Abbey”), and a textile exhibit. “We have garments that are part of the Oatlands collection from the late 1800s and early 1900s… I think the magic of the garments is that they embody the people that wore them, right?” she says. Guests “can get a feel for what the holidays and fancy events would have been like in the early 1900s at Oatlands.”
“I would love for people to come experience the complexity of the place.” –Salazar-Porzio
Salazar-Porzio’s razor-sharp focus on purposeful preservation and curated programming is intended, in her words, to create an “Oatlands for all.” She says, “We are really redefining what land and history stewardship looks like. We are doing it in responsible ways and in service to our community.” As her strategic plan rolls out over the next year, five years, or 10 years, her immediate hope is as welcoming and well rounded as she is. “I would love for people to come experience the complexity of the place. The crux of American history and culture is that there is always going to be contradictions, but that is a really rich learning opportunity. You can have majestic gardens alongside the history of enslavement, the history of the Eustis family, and their national engagement.” She finishes, “All those pieces together provide such a beautiful microcosm of our history.” ML
Published in the November 2025 issue of Middleburg Life.