Woodlawn (Alexandria, Virginia) facts for kids
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Woodlawn Plantation
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Woodlawn in August 2003
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | West of junction of U.S. 1 and Rte. 235, Alexandria, Virginia |
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| Built | 1800–1805 |
| Architect | Dr. William Thornton |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000792 (original) 11000836 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 26, 1970 |
| Boundary increase | November 18, 2011 |
| Designated NHL | August 6, 1998 |
Woodlawn is a historic house located in Fairfax County, Virginia. It was once part of Mount Vernon, which was George Washington's large farm estate. In the 1800s, people who were against slavery bought parts of Woodlawn. They wanted to show that farms could work well using paid workers instead of enslaved people.
Today, Woodlawn is at 9000 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, Virginia. You can reach it from Woodlawn Road, just south of Jeff Todd Way/State Route 235. This house is a special place called a National Historic Landmark. It's important because of its connection to the Washington family. It also played a big role in saving historic buildings. Now, it's a museum managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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History of Woodlawn
George Washington planned for Woodlawn house to have a great view. It overlooked Dogue Creek and could be seen from Mount Vernon. In 1799, he gave the Woodlawn land as a wedding gift. It was given to his nephew Lawrence Lewis and Eleanor ("Nelly") Parke Custis. Nelly was Martha Washington's granddaughter and grew up at Mount Vernon.
Building the House
President Washington asked Dr. William Thornton to design the house. Dr. Thornton was a famous architect who also designed the U.S. Capitol building. Construction on Woodlawn began in 1800 and was finished in 1805.
New Owners and Ideas
In 1846, Nelly Custis Lewis sold Woodlawn. A group of Quakers from New Jersey bought it. Quakers are a religious group known for their peaceful beliefs. They were led by Chalkley Gillingham and Jacob Troth. These Quakers were against slavery. They divided the large farm into smaller ones. They wanted to prove that farms could be successful using free, paid workers. This was a new idea at a time when many farms in the South used enslaved labor.
In 1853, the Quakers sold the Woodlawn house to John Mason. He was a Baptist and also refused to use enslaved labor. He and his wife even ran a Sunday School there. After the American Civil War, his sons helped start a Baptist church nearby.
Preserving a Landmark
Over the years, the Woodlawn mansion has needed repairs many times. But all of its owners knew how important it was. They worked hard to keep its historic look. Some parts of the property were sold or became part of Fort Belvoir.
A former U.S. Senator named Oscar Underwood lived at Woodlawn. He was a progressive politician. He retired there and passed away in 1929. By 1970, only about 160 acres of land were left around the mansion. Today, about 126 acres remain.
Woodlawn Today
Woodlawn is now a museum. It is owned and run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This organization works to save historic places. Woodlawn was the first property the National Trust ever bought. This happened in the 1960s with help from many donations.
Visiting the Museum
Woodlawn and the nearby Pope-Leighey House are open to the public. You can visit them from April until mid-December, Friday through Monday. The property is called "Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House." It also hosts special events. These include weddings and an annual Needlework Show. You can take tours of the museum.
The Pope-Leighey House
In 1965, another historic house was moved to the Woodlawn grounds. This was the Pope-Leighey House. It was built in 1940 by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It had to be moved because a new highway, Interstate 66, was being built.
Recognizing History
In 1969, Virginia's historic preservation office suggested Woodlawn be added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was officially approved in 1970. Woodlawn was named a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1998. Its boundaries were made a bit larger in 2011. This happened when Fort Belvoir donated some land that used to be part of Woodlawn. The Quaker meetinghouse, which was part of the original plantation, was also added to the National Register in 2009.
Since 2010, Arcadia Farm leases land at Woodlawn. They use it to show how to grow food in a way that helps the environment. This is part of the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.
See also
