Clarens (Alexandria, Virginia)
| Clarens Estate | |
|---|---|
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Nineteenth Century Federal Style |
| Address | 318 N. Quaker Lane, |
| Town or city | Alexandria, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 38°48′45″N 77°5′25″W / 38.81250°N 77.09028°W |
| Construction started | 1814 |
| Completed | 1816 |
Clarens or the Clarens Estate is a 19th-century Federal-style mansion in Alexandria, Virginia. Clarens is best known as the residence of James Murray Mason (3 November 1798–28 April 1871), a United States Representative and United States Senator from Virginia and grandson of George Mason, a Founding Father of the United States.
While it was located within Fairfax County, Virginia, Clarens is now located inside the boundaries of the independent city of Alexandria at 318 North Quaker Lane.
Clarens was constructed between 1814 and 1816 in what was then Fairfax County, Virginia, three miles (5 km) to the west of Alexandria. The neighborhood later became known as Seminary Hill because of the proximity to the Virginia Theological Seminary. Reverend George Smith operated his prominent "Fairfax School" at Clarens. Notable Fairfax School attendees included George Washington Custis Lee and George M. Dallas. During the American Civil War, Clarens was used as a hospital for Union Army soldiers.
After the war, James Murray Mason selected Clarens as the estate at which he planned to retire. On 24 September 1869, Mason officially took possession of Clarens. While residing at Clarens, one of Mason's chief occupations was his correspondences. Former Confederate President Jefferson Davis visited Clarens in 1870 for his final meeting with Mason and Confederate Army General Samuel Cooper. Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee also visited Mason at Clarens after the war. Mason died at Clarens on 28 April 1871.
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