Woodlawn- Alexandria, VA

In addition to being a stunning example of Federal style architecture, Woodlawn was a gift from George Washington, and was also the first site acquired by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As Lionel Richie would say, you’re once, twice, three times a lady. 

As we all know, the Father of our Nation had no biological children of his own, but Martha did, and she shared. Following the death of Martha’s son Jacky Parke Custis during the Yorktown campaign in 1781, George and Martha appealed to his widow to raise her two youngest children. Sick and only 23, Eleanor Custis agreed, and Nelly, age 2, and infant George Washington Parke Custis moved to Mount Vernon.

In 1789, several years after Nelly arrived at Mount Vernon, George Washington became the first president of the United States, and the family relocated to New York City, the then seat of government. The family would later move to Philadelphia in late 1790, where they would remain until Washington retired in 1797. Both of these cities provided Nelly with excellent educational opportunities. By the time she returned to Mount Vernon, she was well rounded and of marrying age. She found romance, or at least partnership, very close to home. On February 22, 1799, Washington’s last birthday, Nelly married his nephew, Lawrence Lewis, who had been living at Mount Vernon as well.

Washington gifted the couple 2000 acres of his Mount Vernon estate, for the purpose of establishing their own plantation. Dr. William Thornton, architect of the United States Capitol was enlisted to design their new mansion. The Lewis’ remained at Mount Vernon during construction, moving to the partially completed mansion in 1802, following Martha’s death. Construction continued for several more years, and was finally completed in 1805.

The final product was worth the wait. The house design incorporated all the latest trends of the day, and used the highest end finishes and materials available at the time. Many of these details remain today, such as elegant chandeliers and marble mantles. Nelly was known to give elaborate dinner parties, going from soup to nuts as it were. She apparently even served Jello made from horse hooves, which sounds awful.

Among the many spectacular architectural details, Nelly was most proud of the floating staircase. Considered an engineering marvel, it was often the first thing visitors saw while waiting to be received in the main hall. It is still every bit as graceful today, although somewhat tricky to climb due to slanting treads.

Following Lawrence’s death in 1839, Nelly’s son Lorenzo put the house on the market, where it languished for 6 years. It was eventually sold to Quakers, who restored the home, and ran a meeting house and school on the property. The estate was sold many more times over the years, including to a New York Playwright with 60 cats, a coal heiress, and a Senator. Eventually the house and 126 acres were purchased by the Woodlawn Public Foundation in 1949 with the intention to use the house for meetings and parties. The foundation struggled to finance renovations and operate the property, and in 1951 the foundation leased the property to the newly formed National Trust for Historic Preservation. The mansion was opened for tours on May 9, 1952. In 1957, the Trust was able to purchase the property outright. 

Today, Woodlawn’s grounds offer a verdant retreat in an otherwise overdeveloped area. As a bonus, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey house also resides on Woodlawn’s property, and is a wonderful architectural contrast to the storied Federal mansion.

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