ALEXANDRIA
Sponsored by The Hunting Creek Garden Club and
The Garden Club of Alexandria
April 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Chairmen:
Dottie Hawkins (Mrs. Val Parham, Sr.)
418 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-549-8240
florencehawkins@aol.com
Timmi Wood (Mrs. William Allen IV)
400 Madison Street # 1306
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-684-5559
alwaystimmi@aol.com
BUS AND GROUP TOUR INFORMATION:
Martha Wertz (Mrs. Kenneth)
208 South Pitt Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-683-5134
marthak1@comcast.net
INFORMATION CENTERS:
The Ramsey House
Alexandria Visitors’ Center
221 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-838-4200
Information about historic properties, restaurants, hotels, Parking meter
passes for out-of-town visitors. Restrooms facilities available.
The Lyceum
Alexandria’s History Museum
210 South Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-838-4994
A Virginia Historic Landmark-Museum Gift Shop. State travel information and
Restroom facilities available.
TICKETS: $40 full ticket includes 6 houses with gardens,
refreshments at Historic Christ Church, admission to nearby historic properties.
GROUP TOURS FOR 10 People or More, TICKETS PURCHASED IN ADVANCE: $35 per
person. Single-house with garden admission is $10. Full tickets for children
under 12 are $20. Children younger than age 17 must be accompanied by an
adult.
Babies in arms are admitted free of charge. Tickets may be purchased
on tour day at any of the houses open for the tour and at The Ramsay House.
ADVANCE TICKETS: Advance Tickets are available at The Ramsey House, 221 King St. Internet tickets, please access www.VAGardenweek.org
HOUSES NEED NOT BE VISITED IN THE ORDER LISTED.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT PERMITTED IN PRIVATE HOUSES OR GARDENS.
REFRESHMENTS: Served at The Historic Christ
Church Meade Hall, 121 North Columbus Street from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Established
in 1767. The home parish of George Washington. Every seated president
attends services here on Presidents’ Day.
Guests are invited to visit the interior of the church and stroll the church
grounds.
PARKING: Parking meter passes for out-of-town
visitors are available at The Ramsey House. Street parking in residential
areas is not recommended. Paid parking lots and garages in Old Town
include the following:
Cameron Street at North Saint Asaph Street
Cameron Street at North Pitt Street
South Pitt Street, between Prince & King Streets
North Fairfax Street at King Street
North Lee Street at King Street
South Union Street between Prince & Duke Streets
300 SOUTH LEE STREET is situated
on a sloping lot once owned by James Green and used as a storage yard for
lumber for his “Cabinet Manufactory,” which existed nearby in
1834. The two-story building facing Lee Street, currently the front
of this gray clapboard house, existed in 1885. In 1997, the present
owners completed a renovation that included an excavation to provide a basement
living space under the entire length of the house. The monochromatic living
room features furniture of light-wood Continental antiques and contemporary
painted pieces. The original mantel is faux-painted by Vera Myer. A
portrait of the owners’ son at age three by New York artist Thomas
Loepp hangs above an 18th century English desk. Displays of a 19th century
map of New Orleans and a framed $100 bill from the Bank of Louisiana dated
1862 are significant to the owner, a former New Orleans native. A 19th
century cigar-store woodcarving of George Washington marks the point where
the original house ended.
The new kitchen and family room showcase a reclaimed wood chimneypiece
and finely detailed, built-in cabinetry. French doors open onto a balcony
overlooking a walled garden. Displayed along the stair wall to the basement
are black and white children’s portraits taken from 1990 to 2006 in front
of the Edgartown, Massachusetts lighthouse. The comfortable basement
family room is enhanced by the use of a mirrored wall to reflect light from
the French doors and windows. The garden features traditional Southern plantings
that surround a flagstone patio, with a stature of Pan sitting on top of the
fountain wall. Mr. and Mrs. Brian B. Gibney, owners.
210 DUKE STREET. The classic Georgian “Craik
House” was built in 1787 for Dr. James Craik, George Washington’s
Revolutionary War private secretary and physician. The doctor maintained
his medical practice in the front two rooms of the house. He is buried in
the Old Presbyterian Meeting House yard. Following Craik’s ownership,
the building was used as a school and a boarding house. In 1943, the Thompson
family purchased 210 Duke Street and the 208 Duke Street frame flounder,
later uniting the two in 1946. Purchased by the present owners in 2004,
the house and garden have been carefully restored. The two adjoining, large-windowed
parlor rooms to the left of the entry hall retain their original chimneypieces,
woodwork and pine plank floors. In the dining room, a mural depicting river
life along the Potomac in the 18th century covers the walls. Paired, painted
19th century Swedish demi-lune tables flank the dining room entrance, with
a 21st century nickel chandelier by Charles Edwards positioned above the
contemporary-styled dining table and chairs. A rear addition provides
a new pantry, kitchen, and family room area with views to the surrounding
walled garden.
The restored garden reflects 18th century design and features marble
steps salvaged from Blair House during a mid-20th century remodeling. A newly
designed porch and wing built off the flounder provides a peaceful setting
to enjoy the garden and reflecting pool. Brass lanterns are hung from
the barrel-vaulted brick ceiling of the horse alley, offering a beautiful vista
of the garden from Duke Street. Mr. and Mrs. Dennis J. Garcia, owners.
217 SOUTH FAIRFAX STREET. Originally owned
by Tory Thomas in the late-1780s, this lovely home has been enlarged many
times with the latest renovation in 1992 by renowned neocolonial architect
Allen Greenberg, who designed the Department of State Diplomatic Rooms. The
original side entrance, entered through a boxwood parterre garden accentuated
with topiary rose bushes, opens to a lovely foyer with random-width original
pine floors. Linen wall-covering and custom-designed paneling and
moldings create an impressive entrance to the library, located in the earliest
portion of the house. Architectural research was used by interior designer
William Hodgins to enlarge the windows to their colonial dimensions within
a handsome, columned library featuring a large wood-burning fireplace with
antique limestone mantel. Artist Robert Jackson of New York painted
beautiful murals to enhance the drawing room and library. The drawing room
also features an original Victorian bay window addition and cabinets dating
to the colonial period that conceal an audio system.
Curved French doors lead out to the pergola and rose garden. A
large fireplace with antique mantel forms the center of a bright and cheerful
kitchen space which features heated limestone floors, marble countertops and
a central preparation area that conceals state-of-the-art appliances. Two
pantries with glass doors surround the kitchen, one leading to a well-equipped
room designed for flower arranging. An exterior door opens to the brick
smokehouse/wine room, a side garden and an electrified playhouse with its own
garden and stone path. Mr. and Mrs. David Holt, owners.
Alexandria—415 Wolfe Street
415 WOLFE STREET. This beautiful residence
is unusual not only for its architecture, but also for its location on almost
three-quarters of an acre, one of the largest lots in Old Town Alexandria.
The original clapboard house, owned by John Butcher, a hardware store proprietor,
was built between 1763 and 1785. The home was expanded with a two-story,
Flemish-bond brick addition in the early 1800s. Leopold Genzberger
(1821-1901), a local tailor, owned the house for more than 57 years. In
1935, Mrs. Berenice Fleming Holland added brick walls around the property,
and a two-story brick ell was joined to the carriage house with a colonnade.
A tiny original smokehouse was later joined to the carriage house.
The new owners have updated the property without sacrificing historic
details. A beautiful sculpture of Thomas Jefferson (one of 36 by renowned
artist George London) greets visitors by the front porch and courtyard. The
house is fitted with numerous modern unseen amenities neatly hidden in walls
and ceilings, while broad pine floors and other adornments are original. A
large sitting room features a ceiling dome surrounding a Baccarat chandelier
and an original Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington. The remodeled
kitchen includes butler’s pantries, Subzero appliances with finishes
resembling pine armoires, heated flooring, and a newly added eating/family
room which opens to a brick patio area. The paved terrace, entered by
a Chippendale gate from the street, showcases a cherry tree, dogwoods, large
magnolias, a beautiful copper beech, and great clumps of English boxwood. Mr.
and Mrs. Douglas Turner, owners.
716 WOLFE STREET. This charming frame house
was built by Johnathon Butcher between 1812 and 1814. It was
used as a boarding house for unskilled laborers until after the Civil War
and was leased to an African-American businessman who worked as a porter
for the railroad. His son, the first African-American schoolteacher
in the city of Alexandria, grew up in this house and later purchased it as
an adult for his own home.
In 2003, the current owners transformed the interiors to reflect modern decoration
within an historical framework. A black and white marble floor creates a
dramatic effect along with the 19th century gilded mirror hand-painted in
the same diamond motif as the floor. The owners possess an extensive art
collection which includes artists such as Monestier, Bonnie Shelor, Ann Barbieri
and Hans Erni, Switzerland’s greatest 20th century Expressionist. Original
yellow-pine plank flooring and an original mantel anchor the living room.
The sculpture on a pedestal is an acrylic piece by 20th century artist Frederick
Hart, who created the bronze sculpture of the three young American soldiers
that stand guard over the Vietnam Memorial. Steps lead down to mid-19th
century dining room and kitchen additions. A large box window provides views
to the garden outside. French doors open to a lovely sheltered garden. The
rear garden features a pool screened by a hornbeam hedge and bordered by
large cast-iron containers planted with perennials and boxwood. Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Rehg, owners.
712 PRINCE STREET. At the outset of the Civil
War, Robert E. Lee is said to have accepted command of the Confederate Army
of Virginia in the parlor of this beautiful old mansion. The historic
home has undergone many changes since Thomas Swann, a prominent Alexandria
attorney, built his original Federalist townhouse in 1802. With the Italianate
façade, cornice moldings, and mansard roof added by shipping magnate
and philanthropist Henry Daingerfield, the residence is a classic example of
Southern architecture. The house, including a west wing added in 1835
and an east wing added in 1870, served as living quarters for St. Mary’s
Academy nurses in 1899 and later became a nurses’ residence for The Alexandria
Hospital.
The structure retains much of its original detail such as the beautiful
Italianate loggia, large foyer with original front door moldings and brass
door knockers, 15-foot ceilings with ornate architectural moldings, a central
spiral stairway, and 200-year-old virgin pine floors. The parlor (left
of the entry) is a comfortable family space that captures the accents of an
original black marble fireplace with photographs from the turn of the last
century by renowned artist Edward Curtis. The living room, originally
a 40-foot ballroom, is separated into two seating areas balanced around a windowed
alcove framing a grand piano. Two faux-marble bookcases with dark-red
interiors replaced the original windows in one seating area. Original
golden silk moiré wall treatments and crystal chandeliers blend well
with the eclectic mix of colors and furnishings. A narrow pine monastery
table set at a diagonal angle adds an unexpected elegant note to the dining
room. The small, private garden was designed as a “moon” (all white)
garden and features white crape myrtle and other seasonal white blossoms. Mr.
and Mrs. Mitchell Wiley, owners.
OTHER PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST
(Admission included in Alexandria Tour ticket. No Tour tickets are sold at these locations.)
THE LEE-FENDALL HOUSE, 614 Oronoco St. at North Washington St. Built in 1785 by Philip Fendall on land purchased from Revolutionary War hero “Light Horse Harry” Lee, this gracious historic house museum presents an intimate study of 19th century family life. Home to several generations of the famed Lees of Virginia and labor leader John L. Lewis (1937-69). During the Civil War, the building was used as a Union Hospital. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Guided tours are offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
CARLYLE HOUSE HISTORIC PARK, 121 N. Fairfax St. When Scottish merchant John Carlyle completed his riverfront house in 1753, this was the grandest mansion in the new town of Alexandria. The home’s stone architecture and its furniture and decorative finishes reflect Carlyle’s status and wealth. The Garden Club of Virginia restored the front landscape to the mid-18th century period. A lovely garden with boxwood parterre graces the rear of the house. Guided tours are offered 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, owner.
RIVER FARM, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria. River Farm, headquarters of the American Horticultural Society, is a historic, 25-acre property on the banks of the Potomac River. Features include a historic early 20th century “gentleman’s home” and beautiful gardens that showcase the practices and principles of AHS. The property boasts several varieties of gardens and what is considered to be the most spectacular view of the Potomac River that Virginia has to offer. Hours on Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. On weekdays, River Farm is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MOUNT VERNON ESTATE & GARDENS,
8 mi. south of Alexandria on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Situated
on the Potomac River, Mount Vernon was the home of George and Martha Washington.
From the end of the American Revolution in 1783 to his election to the presidency
in 1789, Washington replaced outbuildings, reshaped gardens, created new
lawns, planted trees, and even realigned roads and lanes. The new George
Washington Pioneer Farmer site features a unique replica of Washington’s
16-sided barn and farming principles. With funding from Historic Garden Week,
The Garden Club of Virginia has helped to restore Mount Vernon’s bowling
green, one of the major landscape features on this vast plantation. Guided
tours available 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily. The Mount Vernon
Ladies’ Association, owners.
WOODLAWN, 9000 Richmond Highway, 3 mi. west of Mount Vernon at the intersection of Rt. 235 and US Rt. 1. This Federal mansion was built on 2,000 acres that George Washington carved from Mount Vernon when his wife’s granddaughter Nelly Custis married his nephew Lawrence Lewis. Designed by Dr. William Thornton, the first architect of the United States Capitol, this lovely house contains fine Federal period furnishings, many brought from Mt. Vernon. The garden was restored by The Garden Club of Virginia in 1958-60. Open 10 a.m. –5 p.m. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, owner.
GUNSTON HALL PLANTATION, 15 mi. south of Alexandria off US Rt. 1 on Rt. 242. This 550-acre National Historic Landmark was the home of author of the Virginia Bill of Rights, George Mason (1725-92). The estate consists of a Georgian mansion and reconstructed kitchen, dairy, laundry and schoolhouse. The brick mansion exhibits elaborately carved woodwork and furnishings of the Colonial and Federal periods. The Garden Club of Virginia restored the gardens in 1949-53 around Mason’s original boxwood allee and has assisted in research to provide additional insight into George Mason’s 18th century garden. Open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Commonwealth of Virginia, owner