Centuries-Old Garden Wall Collapses At Lee-Fendall House

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A historic wall dating back around 200 years has collapsed at Lee Fendall-House Museum and Garden in Old Town Alexandria, leading museum staff to seek a plan and funds to rebuild.

Lee Fendall-House is a historic property built in 1785 that belonged to the Lee family. Given the age of the home and the style of the brick wall surrounding the garden, it's estimated the wall was built around 1800.

Current staff have shown concern recently about the state of the wall, according to Lee-Fendall House manager of interpretation Amanda Roper. Staff had noticed some leaning and brought engineers to check it out.

But staff hadn't expected it to collapse unexpectedly. On the morning of June 12, a 70-foot segment of the original wall collapsed, leaving rubble where the wall had separated the Lee-Fendall House garden and a neighboring property. Roper said the likely cause was rain.

"It's a shame, but we are definitely working on a plan to repair it," said Roper.

A crew of volunteers came out Saturday to construct a temporary wall to maintain privacy between the neighboring property and Lee Fendall-House Museum and Garden, which hosts private and public events.

Repairing the wall will require a multi-phase plan. Lee-Fendall House staff are working with Alexandria's Board of Architectural Review and local firms specializing in historic masonry to establish a plan. Roper said the hope is to use original bricks and maintain the original look of the wall as much as possible.

"The wall dates to around the year 1800 and has been an integral part of our historic fabric," said Martha Withers, executive director of Lee Fendall-House Museum and Garden. "It post-dates the construction of our house by only about 15 years and was likely constructed by enslaved servants. It tells an important part of our story."

The timeline of repairs will be dependent on funding. According to Roper, repairs could be done in small stages as funding becomes available. Staff estimate the repair will cost over $125,000.

Lee-Fendall House is the city's only history museum privately run without government funding. The museum heavily relies on community support and is run by two staff and volunteers.

"It's always been sort of a struggle to find steady sources of income," said Roper. "[The wall collapse] is something we couldn't have anticipated happening."

A fundraiser has been started to support the repair process for the historic garden wall. The initial need is $14,000 to work with an architectural engineer on a repair plan utilizing original bricks.

"We're definitely hoping that people in the community will recognize the value of the site," said Roper.

The repair process comes as Lee-Fendall House starts to see an increase in visitors. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic first started, the museum kept its garden open to the public. It also has held outdoor-focused events such as story walks with Alexandria Library, Easter and Halloween events for families and more. The museum is open for tours by appointment and has other upcoming events.

Donations can be made online by mail to 614 Oronoco Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. To follow the wall repair process and other happenings, visit www.leefendallhouse.org.