Alexandria, VA – May is National Preservation Month. As spring slips into summer, this is the best season to visit, or revisit, tangible evidence of our nation’s history preserved around the DMV.
But for all our homage to Colonial history, there’s a celebration closer to modern time premiering May 1, just down the road at Woodlawn Estate & Pope-Leighey House. The exhibit is called “Saving Pope-Leighey House: How Marjorie Leighey Rescued Her Frank Lloyd Wright Home.” This article reviews the long history of the houses. Tours are available ongoing.
Who Was Marjorie Leighey?
Marjorie Leighey was a pioneering preservationist whose extraordinary efforts in 1964 saved her Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home when plans for the I-66 expansion through Falls Church threatened its destruction.
“When Marjorie Leighey began this journey to rescue her home from demolition, the community rallied behind her. This exhibit celebrates the power of people coming together to enact change,” said Interim Director Heather Johnson.
Robert and Marjorie Leighey bought the house from its original owner, Loren Pope, in 1946. In 1964, the Virginia Department of Highways declared that the house would be condemned to make way for Interstate 66, offering a condemnation award of $25,605.
Robert died in 1963, so Marjorie had to address the house’s fate herself. She refused the state’s offer and expended great effort to raise awareness of the situation, even enlisting help from Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall and writing to Virginia Governor Albertis Harrison, proposing that the highway be rerouted.
When the proposal was denied, Leighey donated the home to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which granted her the right to remain there for the rest of her life. The house was dismantled and reconstructed on Woodlawn, a property owned by the National Trust that once was part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. The house opened to the public in 1965. Leighey lived there from 1969 until she died in 1983.
Why Is Pope-Leighey House Special?
The house was commissioned in 1939 by DC, journalist Loren Pope. It was one of Wright’s early designs in his Usonian period (1936-1959), when the architect focused on “organic architecture,” designing affordable and aesthetically pleasing homes that harmonized with the environment and the people who lived there.
His goal was to provide affordable homes for people of modest means. Constrained by the Pope family’s humble budget (plans were downsized from 1800 to 1200 sq.ft.), the house nonetheless exhibits the distinct characteristics of Wright’s vision and style.
Although the Falls Church site lacked the spectacular view or fascinating geology of other Wright constructions, Pope wrote an article in House Beautiful magazine praising the house’s space and economy of design. The article was so widely read and saved by potential clients that Wright’s practice took on new life after WWII and into the 1950s.
Pope-Leighey House is the only Frank Lloyd Wright house open to the public in the Washington, D.C. area. This summer, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the home’s move to Alexandria.
After visiting the new exhibit in the Woodlawn mansion, tour Pope-Leighey House to appreciate Marjorie Leighey’s beloved home and see how Wright applied principles of organic architecture, harmony with the natural environment, and buildings that were aesthetically pleasing and affordable to structures large and small.
Visiting the house takes tourists back to an earlier time, almost a century, with details such as a dial telephone, art deco table lamps, 1940s clock radio, and Wright’s iconic wood chairs throughout.
There is one detail you may not see when visiting. Leighey had a secret drawer built into the underside of her desk to protect a cherished keepsake. It was a quirky porcelain perfume bottle shaped like a very formal and regal orange cat. In November of 2022, her niece donated the trinket to the National Trust.
“It was the first gift that Robert ever gave to Marjorie while they were still dating,” says Kennis Pieper, the collections coordinator for both Woodlawn and the Pope-Leighey House. “Every time there were tours, she would just tuck it into that little drawer, and you would not even know it was there.” While the site determines how to display it properly, it remains—fittingly—tucked away in a box.
Marjorie Leighey’s Legacy
When faced with losing her home due to urban expansion in 1964, Leighey assumed a role she never thought would be necessary: preservationist. Her foresight and effort to preserve the house for future generations helped lay groundwork for passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the first national preservation policy.
“Marjorie Leighey’s story shows how one person can make a massive impact. The odds were stacked against her, yet she prevailed,” Senior Manager of Public Programs and Interpretation Elizabeth Reese said. “Thanks to her efforts, this unique Frank Lloyd Wright House has been preserved and cherished for generations.”
Saving Pope-Leighey House: How Marjorie Leighey Rescued Her Frank Lloyd Wright Home
The exhibit will be on view at the Woodlawn mansion from Thursday, May 1, through Monday, December 29, 2025. Hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tours of the Pope-Leighey House are available Thursday – Monday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for Seniors and Active Military, and $7.50 for Students K-12, while children five and under are free.
Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House is at 9000 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA, 22309. Visit woodlawnpopeleighey.org for more info.
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