TOUR: Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House
Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House Guided Tour
9000 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309
Saturday, September 19, 2026
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Registration Required
Join us for a visit to Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House, two remarkable National Trust for Historic Preservation properties that tell very different stories of American architecture, history, and social change. Spanning more than a century of American life, from the early republic to the modern era, these sites offer a unique opportunity to explore changing ideas about freedom, community, and the American home.
Our tour begins at Woodlawn, an elegant Federal-style mansion built between 1805 and 1810 on land that was once part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. Designed by William Thornton, architect of the U.S. Capitol, Woodlawn was originally home to Lawrence and Eleanor Lewis, George Washington’s nephew and adopted granddaughter. While the estate began as a plantation worked by enslaved laborers, its history took a dramatic turn in 1846 when a group of Quakers purchased the property and established a free-labor community dedicated to antislavery principles more than a decade before the Civil War. The house and grounds offer a compelling lens through which to examine the evolving ideals and contradictions of early America.
The tour also includes Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House, one of only a few Wright-designed homes in Virginia. Completed in 1941, the house exemplifies Wright’s Usonian vision of beautiful, affordable, and distinctly American architecture designed for modern living. Saved from demolition during the construction of Interstate 66, the house was carefully relocated to the Woodlawn grounds, where it remains an extraordinary example of Wright’s innovative design and commitment to harmony between architecture and nature.
Participants should plan to arrive by 9:45 AM to allow time for check-in before the tour begins promptly at 10:00 AM.
Getting There
Woodlawn is located approximately 18 miles south of Washington, DC, along Richmond Highway (U.S. Route 1), adjacent to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. The site is most easily reached by car and offers free on-site parking.
Optional Lunch Following the Tour
Participants who would like to continue the conversation after the tour may wish to enjoy lunch at Della J's Delectables, located just a few minutes from Woodlawn in the Mount Vernon area. Known for its warm hospitality and Southern-inspired cuisine, the restaurant offers a comfortable setting for gathering with fellow OLLI members following our morning visit. Lunch is informal and on your own.