George Washington Town House

  • 508 Cameron Street Alexandria, Virginia
  • website
A small white house with black shutters, a red shingle roof, stone foundation, front porch, and steps. An American flag hangs by the door. The house is partially shaded by a large tree.
A dining room with wooden floors, a chandelier, a table with six chairs, a bust on a pedestal, a desk with a lamp, and built-in shelves near large windows letting in natural light.
A brick patio with wooden table and chairs overlooks a landscaped garden featuring a large tree, neatly trimmed bushes, potted flowers, a trellis, and a brick wall in the background. An umbrella shades part of the patio.
A neatly made bed with white bedding and two pillows sits against a beige wall, which is decorated with four framed pictures, two candle-style wall sconces, and two small crosses; slanted ceiling and wooden furniture are visible.
A cozy kitchen with a wooden island and sink in the foreground, a chandelier overhead, and a living area in the background featuring a fireplace, model ship, framed pictures, and wooden furniture.
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In the heart of Old Town sits the famous George Washington Town House. The house is a reproduction of the original town house, and sits on the original site. George Washington used the house, primarily before the Revolution, as an office and to spend the night when he was in Alexandria for business or social reasons.

The town house is three levels (about 600 sq. ft. per level) with the 2 bedrooms on the top level, the living room and dining room (one large room) on the second (main) level, and the kitchen and family room with queen sleep sofa on the English basement level. There are two bathrooms, one with a bath and shower on the top level, and one with a shower only on the English basement level. The house features a large rear courtyard. At the rear of the lot is a large storage shed where the stable was. There are two parking spaces on the far side of the storage shed and off of “Washington Way” where George Washington would approach the property by horse.

It is the first piece of property listed in Washington’s will, and it was the only piece of property that he left outright to his wife Martha when he died. At her death, Mrs. Washington left the property to her nephew, Bartholomew Dandridge. Unfortunately, the dwelling which had significantly deteriorated, was demolished in 1855. In 1960, Gov. and Mrs. Richard Lowe had the house reconstructed based on existing accounts – particularly a drawing done by a neighbor about the time of the demolition (copy at the house). During the 1990s, the GW town house was rented to Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac while he operated “Fleetwood’s”, a blues club and restaurant in north Old Town.