Pope-Leighey House, Usonian house museum in Alexandria, United States.
Pope-Leighey House is a single-family residence with early 20th-century modern design, distinguished by horizontal lines, cantilevered roofs, and expansive windows. The compact layout integrates living, dining, and kitchen areas in open flow, while natural materials such as wood and stone define the interior design.
The house was designed in 1940 for a married couple and emerged as an expression of an approach to affordable housing in the 20th century. It survived through two relocations when major infrastructure projects threatened its survival.
The home displays an open living design that connects interior spaces with the surrounding landscape, something you notice immediately upon entering. The large windows and fluid room layout create a relationship between inside and outside that shapes how people move through the space.
The house sits in southern Alexandria and is open to visitors through guided tours, typically during the warmer months. Comfortable shoes are recommended, as the rooms are compact and viewing requires close attention to details.
The structure was moved twice to new locations to prevent demolition, an unusual fate for a private residence of that era. This rescue made it a preserved example of a design philosophy that might otherwise have been lost.
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