Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House

Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House Explore 126 acres and two historic houses, Woodlawn and Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House Capitol. Mrs.

Woodlawn and Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House are two historic sites owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We are innovative partners with the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture as well as Nelly's Needlers, a group of dedicated women who continue needlepoint in Woodlawn's first owner, Nelly Custis' honor, as a way to support our sites. Woodlawn, the first s

ite operated by the National Trust, was part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. In 1799, he gave the site to his nephew, Lawrence Lewis, and Lewis’ new bride, Eleanor “Nelly” Parke Custis, Martha’s granddaughter, in hopes of keeping Nelly close to Mount Vernon. The newly-married couple built the Georgian/Federal house designed by William Thornton, architect of the U.S. In 1846, the entire plantation was sold to Quaker timber merchants, who purposefully operated the farm plantation with free labor, making a statement in Virginia on the eve of the Civil War. At the turn of the twentieth century, two separate owners, Paul Kester and Elizabeth Sharpe, lovingly restored the property using the best Colonial Revival architects and builders. Senator Oscar Underwood from Alabama, an uncompromising advocate for civil rights, lived at the mansion from 1925 until his death in 1929. Operated as a historic house museum since 1949, Woodlawn is an interesting case-study of the cultural relevance of the house museum. Woodlawn relies on local support and engagement to succeed. 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, 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. 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 thirty feet up the hill in 1995-96.

The 62nd Annual Woodlawn Needlework Show fundraising event was a huge success! Thank you to our dedicated community of s...
04/29/2025

The 62nd Annual Woodlawn Needlework Show fundraising event was a huge success! Thank you to our dedicated community of sponsors, visitors, entrants, and volunteers who helped us have a monumental year.

The Show saw a 25% increase in attendance over last year with nearly 2,500 visitors and the number of exquisite pieces entered this year increased by 30% over last year with almost 600 pieces. This was the busiest show we have had in more than a decade.

The celebration of Nelly's Needlers 50th anniversary continues! They will be hosting a Wellness Tea at Woodlawn on May 18th (two seatings: 10:30 am and 2:00 pm). If you're interested in attending, please email [email protected]. The cost is $40 and they will be serving a different tea with each of our three courses, and a tea sommelier will talk about the wellness properties of the different teas.

JOIN US: On May 24th, Woodlawn will welcome Joe McGill and the Slave Dwelling Project to the site as the centerpiece for...
04/28/2025

JOIN US: On May 24th, Woodlawn will welcome Joe McGill and the Slave Dwelling Project to the site as the centerpiece for a day of free public programming. Inalienable Rights will consist of a group of living historians and storytellers sharing about the lives and history of people enslaved at Woodlawn and similar plantations in Virginia.

FREE: visit our website to register today! https://www.woodlawnpopeleighey.org/upcomingevents

On June 7, 2025, we’re honoring the 60th anniversary of the Pope-Leighey House’s historic move to Woodlawn. Thanks to Ma...
04/25/2025

On June 7, 2025, we’re honoring the 60th anniversary of the Pope-Leighey House’s historic move to Woodlawn. Thanks to Marjorie Leighey and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this Frank Lloyd Wright-designed treasure was saved—and we’re marking the moment with an unforgettable 1960s-themed evening.
🏛️ Explore the house with Open House tours
🎤 Live entertainment
🎶 Enjoy groovy live music, retro bites, and good vibes
🎟️ Don’t miss our special exhibit on how Marjorie Leighey saved this Frank Lloyd Wright gem- opening May 1st
Join us for a celebration of timeless design and community spirit!

🎫 Grab your tickets: bit.ly/3S0SkOl

Don't miss a chance to experience Pope-Leighey House in the evening at one of our popular Wright at Twilight events! Sit...
04/24/2025

Don't miss a chance to experience Pope-Leighey House in the evening at one of our popular Wright at Twilight events! Sit back with complimentary snacks and a glass of wine, as you watch the changing light bring out the beautiful architectural details of the house. Tour the house at your leisure as the sun slowly sets. Tickets available on our website! https://www.woodlawnpopeleighey.org/upcomingevents?tag=wrightattwilight

NEW EXHIBIT ALERT! Opening May 1st, this exhibit celebrates the life and work of Marjorie Leighey, the last private owne...
04/21/2025

NEW EXHIBIT ALERT! Opening May 1st, this exhibit celebrates the life and work of Marjorie Leighey, the last private owner of the Pope-Leighey House, the only Frank Lloyd Wright house open to the public in the Washington, D.C. area. Free to the public and open during our business hours: Thursday - Monday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Want more Pope-Leighey House? Join us on June 7th for a celebration of 60 years of preservation. More details available on our website : www.woodlawnpopeleigheyhouse.org

Today kicks off the 2025 Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House tour season. Visit our website to purchase your tickets today! ...
04/17/2025

Today kicks off the 2025 Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House tour season. Visit our website to purchase your tickets today!

TODAY is Spring2Action! For this year's campaign, we're focusing our fundraising efforts on supporting the care and cons...
04/09/2025

TODAY is Spring2Action!

For this year's campaign, we're focusing our fundraising efforts on supporting the care and conservation of two pieces from our Collections, including Mary Eliza Angela Lewis Conrad's Wedding Dress and a Quaker Memory Quilt.

Donate here: https://www.spring2action.org/organizations/woodlawnpopeleigheyhouse

Visit our website to learn more and purchase your tickets today!
04/04/2025

Visit our website to learn more and purchase your tickets today!

Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey staff are busy preparing for the 2025 tour season! We will open on Thursday, April 17th for to...
04/02/2025

Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey staff are busy preparing for the 2025 tour season! We will open on Thursday, April 17th for tours of both houses. We will be open Thursday - Monday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Please visit our website to learn more and book your tickets today! www.woodlawnpopeleighey.org

That's a wrap on the 2025 Needlework Show! Thank you to all who entered, attended, and volunteered this year. With almos...
04/01/2025

That's a wrap on the 2025 Needlework Show! Thank you to all who entered, attended, and volunteered this year. With almost 600 pieces of needlework from 33 states and 3 countries, it was a Show to remember!

The votes have been counted and the People's Choice winner this year is the Quaker Sampler Wing Chair by Kathy Rabun. We are in awe of this chair, a study of Quaker Schoolgirl needlework that incorporates Kathy's life story. Congratulations Kathy!

We look forward to seeing everyone next March for the 63rd Annual Needlework Show! Entrants, be on the lookout in November for 2026 entry information.

Throughout the month of March, we will be highlighting members of Nelly’s Needlers, the volunteer organization which sup...
03/25/2025

Throughout the month of March, we will be highlighting members of Nelly’s Needlers, the volunteer organization which supports the preservation of Woodlawn through the pursuit of needle arts. This year’s Needlework Show celebrated the 50th anniversary of Nelly’s Needlers.

A Navy Nurse, military spouse, pediatric nurse, and mother, Christy was inspired to join Nelly’s Needlers after a visit to the Woodlawn Needlework Show reignited her long lost love of needle and thread. Her favorite project is a cross stitch cushion of spring hares stitched for her daughter.

Address

9000 Richmond Highway
Alexandria, VA
22309

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

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