The Lee-Fendall House was built in 1784 when General Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, Revolutionary War hero and father of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, sold the lot at the corner of Oronoco Street to his cousin Philip Richard Fendall for £300. The following spring, Fendall began construction of the wood frame house that would, over the course of the next 118 years, serve as home to over 37 members of the Lee family. The history of the house did not come to an end with the departure of the last member of the Lee family in 1903. Robert Downham, a prominent Alexandria haberdasher and liquor purveyor, resided with his family in the house for the next 31 years. In 1937, Downham conveyed the house to John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers and one of the most powerful and controversial labor leaders in American history. Lewis lived in this house until his death in 1969. Today, Lee-Fendall opens its doors to visitors from around the world as a historic house museum.