Lee-Fendall House

Revolutionary War hero Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, father of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, purchased several lots on North Washington Street in Alexandria soon after the War for Independence. He later sold the lot at the corner of Oronoco Street to his cousin Philip Richard Fendall, who built this wood frame house in 1785. From 1785 until 1903, the house served as the home to thirty-seven members of the Lee family. This period of residency was interrupted during the Civil War when, in 1863, the Union Army seized the property for use as a hospital for its wounded soldiers.

History did not come to a halt upon the departure of the last member of the Lee family in 1903. Robert Downham, a prominent Alexandria haberdasher and liquor purveyor, resided with his family in this house for the next 31 years. In 1937, Downham conveyed the house to John L. Lewis. As the president of the United Mine Workers and the founder of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, Lewis is considered one of the most powerful and controversial labor leaders in American history. He lived in this house during the height of his power, and until his death in 1969.

The Lee-Fendall House is an architecturally stunning house with premier decorative arts and archival collections. Now restored to its early Victorian elegance, the house is interpreted as a Lee family home of the 1850-1870 period, presenting an intimate study of 19th century family life. The house is complemented by its beautifully restored, award-winning garden.  Read more…