Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden

The Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden is a historic home that tells the stories of the people that lived here from 1785 to 1974. Those include members of the Lee family (1785–1903), hundreds of convalescing Union soldiers when the house served as an Army hospital (1863–1865); the locally prominent Downham family (1903–1937); and powerful 20th-century labor leader John L. Lewis (1937–1969).  Generations of enslaved  and free workers also lived here and left their mark. 

Today, through house tours, walking tours, lectures, hands-on-history, and other public programs, the museum tells the story of change over time, offering a unique understanding of Alexandria and American history. As the sole property owned by the Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation, the house is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.