Pope-Leighey House
Alexandria, VA 1939
Wright designed this 1,200-square-foot house at a total cost of $7,000 for a journalist earning a $50-a-week salary. The flat roof with a cantilevered carport, heated concrete floor slab and uniform treatment of the interior and exterior walls are features consistent with other Usonian designs. In 1963, the structure sat in the path of a highway expansion project and faced demolition. It was donated by the then-owner to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and, in 1965, moved 15 miles away to Woodlawn, which was originally part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. In 1995, due to the instability of the clay soil, the house had to be moved 30 feet uphill, where it still stands today.
For more information:
woodlawnpopeleighey.org