Mary Wortham Carlisle was born on April 4, 1882, in Richmond, Virginia, at her maternal grandparents' home.
Her father, Calderon Carlisle Esq., was a well-known and successful international lawyer as well as legal counsel for the Spanish, British, and Italian legations in Washington, D.C., directly descended from the Earls of Buchan, Macleod Chiefs of Scotland, and a colorful tapestry of European nobility.
[1] Carlisle was raised in Washington, D.C. and later lived in Newport, Rhode Island with her husband, Walter Bruce Howe Esq.
), at their home, Berry Hill, on Ocean Drive, designed by Mckim, Mead, and White.
[8] In 1933, Howe traveled to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger, a renowned French pianist and composer.
She began to develop an interest in themes in nature and American themes, paving the way for some of her most famous orchestral works (which include Sand, Stars, Rock, Three Pieces after Emily Dickinson and "Chain Gang Song" for orchestra and chorus).