Alexandria historic preservation officials got an honor from Preservation Virginia for its work on the Murray-Dick-Fawcett house.
The Office of Historic Alexandria has, for the past several years, been restoring the exterior of the home, which it acquired in 2017.
While it's not the oldest house in Alexandria, the home at 517 Prince St. has the honor of being the least-altered 18th-century home in the region.
Construction began on the house, located at 517 Prince St., in 1772, before the American Revolution, and additions were added on the western side of the house through 1823. The house is named after its owners, Patrick Murray, the first owner; physician Elisha Cullen Dick, who was one of the physicians who attended to George Washington on his deathbed and was also a mayor of Alexandria and the Fawcett family, descendants of owner John Douglass Brown, generations of whom lived in the house for 184 years.
The Office of Historic Alexandria purchased the historic home in 2017 from Joseph Reeder, who is now in his 90s.
Over the past two years, the Office of Historic Alexandria has worked with Oak Grove Restoration Company on replacing the wood shingle roof on the original portion of the house and the seam metal roof on the brick addition. There was also restoration completed on the exterior doors, windows and wide-board siding.
"Since 1971, Preservation Virginia has recognized outstanding preservation efforts across the Commonwealth. This year, the Office of Historic Alexandria is being honored for its exceptional restoration work on the Murray-Dick-Fawcett House, one of Alexandria’s oldest and best-preserved residential structures. Acquired by the City of Alexandria in 2017, the house recently completed a multi-year, two-phase exterior restoration that began in 2021, ensuring the preservation of its architectural integrity," according to Preservation Virginia.
Learn more about Preservation Virginia at preservationvirginia.org.
