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About
Woodlawn Plantation overlooks the Potomac River on lands first inhabited by the Algonkian-speaking Doeg people. The land was later part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon and was a wedding gift for his step-granddaughter, Nelly Parke Custis, and her husband Lawrence Lewis, Washington’s nephew. The Federal-style mansion was built in 1805 as a home for the Lewis family. The plantation was worked by approximately 90 enslaved women, men, and children. We are in the process of researching the history of the people enslaved at Woodlawn and uncovering and sharing the stories of those who helped build and maintain this historic property.
In 1846, a group of anti-slavery Quaker families from the north purchased the property and sold off parcels of Woodlawn’s land to free Black and other anti-slavery farmers who set up homesteads on the land. Woodlawn became an example of successful free-labor agriculture in a region that was dependent on enslaved labor. Subsequent owners of Woodlawn, helped to preserve the house into the twentieth century.
Operated as a historic house museum since 1949, Woodlawn came to the National Trust for Historic Preservation shortly afterward. The home, which still sits on 126 of its original 2,000 acres, provides a base for innovative public programming based on its full history and the lives and contributions of all of its owners and inhabitants. The Quaker Meeting still stands just beyond its entrance. The historical core of the site also now boasts a modern demonstration and educational farm powered by partner Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture (who also operate a working farm on another area of the property). We also have an active group of volunteers who help to execute one of the largest needlework shows in the country each year and host many other creative partnerships that help us interpret the stories of Woodlawn, including a summer writers-in-residence program which draws a diverse cohort of contemporary writers each year.
Also located on the property is the Pope-Leighey House, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian home. Built in Falls Church, Virginia and named after its two owners, the house was completed in 1940. Loren Pope, a journalist, moved into the house with his family in 1941 and six years later sold it to Robert and Marjorie Leighey. In the 1960s, the house was in the path of an expansion of Highway 66 so, in an effort to preserve the building, Mrs. Leighey gave the property to the National Trust, which relocated the entire house to Woodlawn and granted her a lifetime tenancy. Mrs. Leighey continued to live in the house at Woodlawn until her death in 1983. In 1995, a second move was required, just 100 yards, due to the instability of the clay soil. Today, the Pope-Leighey House is the only Wright house in the D.C, Virginia and Maryland area which is regularly open to the public for tours and events and contains much of the original furniture created when it was designed.
Facilities and Capacity
Couples can easily invite up to 250 guests, more if additional tenting is arraned - there is plenty of land for additional amenities. The Woodlawn spaces offer both indoor tented and uncovered outdoor options that you can choose from.
Services Offered
The Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House staff, in collaboration with the choice of two top quality DC-area caterers, Design Cuisine and Main Event Caterers, can help plan and host your ceremony and reception.
Other services include:
- A variety of tent and decor packages
- Full-service catering by Design Cuisine or Main Event Caterers
- Ready rooms for Wedding Party, upon request
- Open house tours inside Woodlawn during your cocktail hour.
- Large, fully-outfitted, high-end, tented event space
- Ceremony set up and clean up
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Message vendorProfessional Network & Endorsements
2 EndorsementsA wonderful venue. Beautiful house and grounds and great location.
Oh my goodness! What a beautiful spot! Being a former art history and photography teacher, I am in love with the thought of any wedding in such an historical spot with incredible architecture! Woodlawn is lovely and a must visit for your wedding venue!
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- Parking
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