Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House

Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House are two iconic, historic homes owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and set on 126 historic acres of land that were originally inhabited by the Doeg people.

Woodlawn, completed in 1805, was built on land gifted to Eleanor Parke Custis and Lawrence Lewis by George Washington. Woodlawn operated as a plantation where the family enslaved more than ninety men, women, and children of African descent. After the Lewis family sold the property to Quakers in the 1840’s, Woodlawn became a free labor colony in the years prior to the Civil War. In the early 20th century, the owners modernized the home and in the 1950's Woodlawn was purchased and became the first public site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Pope-Leighey House was built for Loren and Charlotte Pope in Falls Church, Virginia in the 1940’s. The home was saved from demolition by the second owner, Marjorie Leighey, when it was moved to Woodlawn in the 1960’s. Today, visitors can explore the only Frank Lloyd Wright home open to the public in the D.C. area and be inspired by Wright’s Usonian architecture and a vision for affordable, well-designed housing.

As sites of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House believe all Americans deserve to see their history reflected here. These historic sites are dedicated to filling in the gaps of our cultural heritage, especially the stories of enslaved people, free Black communities, and their descendants.

Visitors can also tour both sites in one visit with a Combo Tour at
2:00 PM. Cost for the tour --

## Rates

Adults - $25
Students (K-12) - $12
Seniors (62+) / Active Military (With ID) - $22
5 and Under - Free

All ticket purchases support the preservation of these historic homes.

National Trust Members: Please purchase your full-priced tickets online now. When you arrive at Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House, present your membership card at the front desk, and you will be provided the appropriate discounted refund through the online ticketing system at that time.

## About Pope-Leighey House

During the 1930s, Frank Lloyd Wright set his formidable attention towards designing affordable middle-class residences. More than 100 of these modest homes, referred to as Usonian, thought to mean "the United States of North America," were constructed between 1936 and Wright's death in 1959, including the Pope-Leighey House (1940). Commissioned in 1939 by Loren Pope, a journalist in Falls Church, VA, the residence was sold to Robert and Marjorie Leighey in 1946. The house was in the path of an expansion of Highway 66, so in an effort to preserve the building, Mrs. Leighey gave the property to the National Trust, which relocated it to nearby Woodlawn and granted her lifetime tenancy. Mrs. Leighey occupied the house at Woodlawn until her death in 1983. Unusually, the house required a second move due to the instability of the clay soil, and was relocated about 30 feet up the hill in 1995-96.

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## About Woodlawn

Visit Woodlawn- a gift from George Washington to his nephew and step granddaughter- designed in 1805 by the first architect of the Capitol, William Thornton. Today, a dynamic re-birth is happening here with an expanded, inclusive narrative focused on telling the fullest story of all people associated with the property.

Woodlawn's history is complex and transformative- once a plantation home, it became, under Quaker ownership on the eve of the Civil War, a successful farming colony of freedmen, immigrants and abolitionists working and living together. The site also boasts a working farm powered by Arcadia, part of a vision that reflects back on Woodlawn's agrarian heritage.

Woodlawn was the first site operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Don't forget to visit the gift shop before you leave!

# Directions

Coming along Route 1 in either direction, turn left or right onto Woodlawn Road (there is an intersection light!) The new Woodlawn Road goes past the Pillar Baptist Church. Keep going and continue straight across the old road. The Woodlawn Entrance will be directly ahead of you, past the Quaker Meeting House.

You can call the front desk at (703) 780-4000 if you get lost or experience any difficulty.

### Address

9000 Richmond HWY, Alexandria, VA 22309
TIP: If you type the name of the property in your GPS, it should direct you right to us!

More information about the Woodlawn & Pope Leighey house including a map can be found on their website at https://www.woodlawnpopeleighey.org/hours-directions and https://www.woodlawnpopeleighey.org/