One Of Alexandria's Oldest Homes To Be Permanently Protected

ALEXANDRIA, VA—The 18th century Murray-Dick-Fawcett House, one of Alexandria's oldest existing homes, will be permanently protected and available to the public thanks to historic preservation and open-space easements.

The Virginia Board of Historic Resources and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) holds the easements, acquired by $1.25 million in grants from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and VOF's Preservation Trust Fund.

The easement ensures that the garden will be permanently open to the public. In addition, the current tenant will open the house to the public for special events several times a year. Public events are announced on the city's website.

The City of Alexandria bought the property last spring from owner Joseph Reeder, who had received a city award in 2014 for his preservation of the property. In return, he was granted lifetime tenancy. Eventually, the house will be converted into an educational center focused on domestic life in the 18th and 19th centuries.

"Together we are protecting the fascinating historic structure and its adjoining open space," said VOF Executive Director Brett Glymph. "Most importantly, we are helping the City of Alexandria make this treasure accessible to the public for generations to come."

Located at 517 Prince Street, the house was built in 1775 and remains one of the least altered 18th century homes in Northern Virginia. The property features a 244-year-old timber frame and brick dwelling and gardens. From 1775 until 1970, the home's open-space garden served as the setting for the original owner's commercial livery, and later a grocery, a laundry, and school/office building used by a nearby church.

The Murray-Dick-Fawcett House was one of the few buildings in existence in the area during the American Revolution and is one of the one few of its kind in any urban setting in Virginia.

The garden is currently open to the public from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Office of Historic Alexandria will operate and maintain the site as part of the city's museum system. Learn more about the historic property here.

Image via City of Alexandria