Courtesy of the Lee-Fendall House
The front of the Lee-Fendall House at 614 Oronoco Street.
Martha Withers is looking forward to the restorations, research and development ahead of her this year. As the new executive director of the Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, Withers is charged with growing local support for the historic home, creating new programming and more.
Withers came to Alexandria this year from Texas, where she worked at a variety of museums. Most recently she worked at a museum that was once the home of the Representative of France to the Republic of Texas, primarily dealing with the brief period from 1840 to 1842.
With nearly 200 years of history, the Lee-Fendall House is “like having a gourmet feast put out in front of me,” Withers said.
Martha Withers
Withers grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and graduated from Catholic University. She still has many friends in the area.
Withers plans to start work on a project to restore a part of the house that was at one time used as service quarters, and she’s interested in focusing more on the African-American history of the home in that area. In addition, she will be leading an effort to consolidate the home’s archives and make them more accessible to Alexandrians. Expanded programs, new walking tours and more special tours of the home. Her special interest in textiles and costuming may lead to new exhibits, as well.
With 30 years of museum experience, Withers brings a lot to the historic property, which is one of Alexandria’s only privately-funded museums.
“Lee-Fendall house seemed to have such a positive board and a really great history that covered an incredibly long period of time and the opportunities for interpretation and helping to move things forward just really appealed to me,” she said.
Tickets are now on sale for the Lee-Fendall annual Easter Egg Hunt, which sells out every year. More information about the egg hunt, the home and what it offers is available at www.leefendallhouse.org.
