The large frame house was partially constructed from lumber salvaged from emergency buildings built by the Red Cross at Johnstown , Pennsylvania in the wake of the Johnstown Flood of 1889 . The lumber of the dismantled buildings was brought to Washington via the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to avoid flooding the local market in Johnstown . The lumber was stored on a lot owned by Barton in Washington D.C. until early in 1891 when construction began on land donated by Edwin and Edward Baltzley , who were developing a Chautauqua assembly at Glen Echo . The house was designed by Dr. Julian B. Hubbell , the first field agent of the American Red Cross . Hubbell oversaw the construction work performed by Baltzley 's construction team . The original structure included a massive stone front in a style in keeping with the rest of the Chautauqua buildings . In 1897 , when Barton moved into the house permanently , the central part of the stone facade was dismantled , creating flanking stone towers . The addition of pointed roofs accentuated the effect on the deep , narrow house
Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
Clara Barton National Historic Site