[4] It was first inhabited by prominent Virginia planter John Dandridge and his wife Frances Jones.
[1][2][4] It was at Chestnut Grove that Martha married her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis, on 15 May 1750.
[1][2][4] In 1768, Martha Washington's younger brother Bartholomew Dandridge sold Chestnut Grove and its accompanying 500 acres (2.0 km2).
Unlike neighboring plantation homes, Chestnut Grove continued to serve as a residence for 200 years in its original state until it burned down in November 1926.
[2][4] Chestnut Grove's architectural details survive due to old photographs and sketches.