Lee-Fendall House
|
Lee–Fendall House
|
|
The Lee–Fendall House, seen in September 2009
|
|
 
|
|
| Location | 614 Oronoco St., Alexandria, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°48′33″N 77°2′46″W / 38.80917°N 77.04611°WCoordinates: 38°48′33″N 77°2′46″W / 38.80917°N 77.04611°W |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1785 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 79003277 |
| VLR # | 100-0024 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1979 |
| Designated VLR | April 17, 1979 |
The Lee–Fendall House is a historic house museum and garden located in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Since its construction in 1785 the house has served as home to thirty-seven members of the Lee family (1785–1903), hundreds of convalescing Union soldiers (1863–1865), the prominent Downham family (1903–1937), and powerful labor leader John L. Lewis (1937–1969).
The 1785 house, standing on its original half-acre lot, is in the vernacular "telescopic style" of architecture similar to many Maryland homes, but not found elsewhere in northern Virginia. The house was renovated in 1850, adding Greek Revival and Italianate elements to the original structure.
The historic home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for state significance and the Virginia Landmarks Register, and is a documented contributing feature to the National Historic Landmark District of Alexandria, Virginia. The property is now owned and operated by the Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation and run as a museum to preserve the architectural and historic value of the house and gardens and to spread knowledge and appreciation for Virginian and American history.
The Lee–Fendall House Museum and Garden is open for tours on the hour Wed.-Sat. 10-3, and Sun. 1-3. The House Museum and Garden is also available for private rentals.
In November 1784, Major General Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee (1756–1818) purchased 3 one-half acre lots in Alexandria from Baldwin Dade (1716–1783), a merchant. On December 4, 1784, he sold one of these tracts to Philip Richard Fendall I, Esq. (1734–1805), for three hundred pounds, and Philip began building the Lee–Fendall House, for his second wife, Elizabeth (Steptoe) Lee (1743–1789), in the spring or early summer of 1785. The lot was located on the southeast corner of Washington and Oronoco Street, then the edge of the city. At the time, very few structures were near, and the Fendalls enjoyed a spectacular view of Oronoco Bay and the ships which docked there. To the north and west lay verdant fields of grass and clover. Alexandria was an up-and-coming thriving social and political center in Northern Virginia. The architect is unknown, but the style is similar to that found at "Hard Bargain", an estate built by the Digges family, and located in Charles County, Maryland, from which Fendall hailed. It consisted of a "telescopic" design, which was synonymous with Maryland, and had three sections. A plat on a 1796 insurance policy shows eight buildings on the quarter block, valued at a total of $11,500, including a "Rabbit House" and a "Pigeon House". The main dwelling house was valued at $5,000.
...
Wikipedia