Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden

The Force was strong at last night's Star Wars trivia! Join us next Friday for the last summer trivia night in the Lee-Fendall garden, co-sponsored with Carlyle House Historic Park. Tickets can be purchased at leefendallhouse.eventbrite.com.

Last weekend, Lee-Fendall had the pleasure to host Catherine Weinraub as she presented the history of Alexandria's Friendship Fire Company and its connections to Lee-Fendall.

This lecture, along with Weinraub’s lecture hosted by the Alexandria Historical Society in June, were in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Firehouse in 2024! The Friendship Firehouse Museum is open once a month, and will be open next on September 14 from 11 AM to 5 PM.

Pop Quiz! How many private owners of the Lee-Fendall House are buried in the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex?

*50 for 50 Spotlight*

3️⃣ 1️⃣: Nick Pernot

1) How many years have you been with the museum?

I have been at the Lee-Fendall House since July 2023.

2) What are some of the things you do at Lee-Fendall?

I help out with numerous collections-based tasks such as performing inventories, photographing items, and so much more. I also help out with safely transporting items (big and small), exhibit installation/deinstallation, and helping set up events. I'm always excited to see what tasks come up when I volunteer for the day!

3) How did you come to volunteer at Lee-Fendall?

I was looking to scratch my museum itch since I work at the Holocaust Museum, but in their library, so I reached out to the Lee-Fendall House to become a docent. They were more intrigued with my museum collections skills so they offered for me to be a volunteer with their collections. It has been such a wonderful experience to help out the Lee-Fendall House!

4) What are some of the things you have learned during your time at Lee-Fendall?

Whenever you enter the house, you always feel a warm presence from both the feeling of the home and the staff and volunteers within. Walking through the rooms makes it feels like you're stepping in time. You just want to take it all in and learn about the objects within. Like most people, I learned that the Lee family is only one part of this home's history. It's neat to learn that the home started out as a lot purchased by Light Horse Harry Lee, but it became something entirely from a Civil War hospital , bootlegging, and finally to labor rights.

5) What is your favorite memory of Lee-Fendall?

Besides talking to a visitor about 19th Century plumbing via his interest in the chamberpot, my favorite memory is helping install the Victorian Mourning exhibit. After carefully moving cases and getting the objects and labels in their proper places I felt really proud of the work I helped accomplish. Whenever I complete any task at the Lee-Fendall House, I feel like I'm making a difference in helping out this historic home and that makes me feel happy to help out.

Photo: Nick Pernot (left) with wife, Erika Pernot, at the 2024 Lee-Fendall Reunion Party.

Next Saturday, August 10th is the 15th annual Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale! From 10 AM to 4 PM, visit the Lee-Fendall garden and look over discounted items in the museum’s gift shop - including handmade ornaments, books and more! A special voucher will be provided with each purchase.

Thank you to Visit Alexandria VA for running this awesome summer event!

*50 for 50 Spotlight*

3️⃣0️⃣: Meghan Sullivan

1) How many years were you with the museum and what was your position?

I started volunteering as a docent at Lee-Fendall in the fall of 2017, and then I joined the board in 2018. My career took me out of state in 2023, so in total I was with the museum for about six years.

2) What were some of the things you did at Lee-Fendall?

I gave regular tours and tours for special events, served as board secretary, and assisted with coordination of the Historic Structure Report (HSR) in 2023, among others.

3) How did you come to volunteer at Lee-Fendall?

I was looking to volunteer at a house museum when I moved to Alexandria after grad school. I stumbled upon Lee-Fendall and enjoyed not only the comprehensive history of the house (it still amazes me it was lived in almost continuously from 1785-1969!), but I could see how dedicated the staff and volunteers were to the mission of the museum, which cinched the deal.

4) What were some of the things that you learned during your time at Lee-Fendall?

The inhabitants of Lee-Fendall lived through or were involved in so many important moments in American history—studying the tour script led me down several rabbit holes on topics such as what it was like to be a freed person during Alexandria’s Reconstruction period and what a “Gibson Girl” meant to women at the turn of the twentieth century.

5) What is your favorite memory of Lee-Fendall?

Volunteering at special events that occurred around holidays, such as Grief & Ghosts at Halloween or Victorian Christmas in December, were some of my favorite memories. It was always fun to keep the museum open after normal hours, after dark, and let visitors see a different side to Lee-Fendall.

Robert Downham owned the Lee-Fendall House from 1903 to 1937, and was very active around Alexandria. One of the organizations Robert was involved in was the Friendship Fire Association - an organization that his father joined a few years prior. E.E. was the Association’s President for six years (1903-1909), while Robert remained a member for over 15 years. 

If you visit the in Alexandria today, you will notice the adjacent alley is called “Downham Way”. In 1988, the Friendship Fire Association petitioned to rename the alley to Downham Way in honor of the family who made significant contributions to the Association. 

Interested in learning more about the history of the Friendship Firehouse and the involvement of the Downham family? Join us next Saturday, August 10th, for a lecture by Catherine Weinraub, the Historian of the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association! Tickets can be purchased through link in bio.

The hibiscus plant is in bloom in the Lee-Fendall garden! This Common Hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus) is a part of the garden’s collection of medicinal plants, as it is rich in nutrients and Vitamins B and C.

Hibiscus is native to West Africa where it was used in many healing practices to regulate body temperature, lower blood pressure and improve heart and nerve diseases. The hibiscus plant arrived in the Caribbean and became a symbol of freedom during the early 19th century, as former enslaved persons would drink hibiscus tea in celebration of their newfound freedom.

The hibiscus plant was used for its medicinal properties during the U.S. Civil War to relieve many ailments, including loss of appetite, upper respiratory tract pain and swelling, stomach irritation, and as a laxative.

The plant was the namesake for the “USS Hibiscus” which was a U.S. Naval ship that sailed around the Florida region to prevent the Confederacy from trading with other countries.

Here’s the Thursday “Scoop”:

This cheese scoop in the Lee-Fendall collection was created in 1880 by the Whiting Manufacturing Company. A cheese scoop, or cheese spoon, was a service piece designed to remove cylinder-shaped pieces of cheese from the edge, particularly for softer cheeses. In a formal Victorian dinner, cheese such as Stilton would be placed in a domed ceramic piece. The dish would be brought out to the table, and then the cheese would be scooped out with a piece such as this one.

Albert C. Tifft and William Dean Whiting established a silversmith firm in 1840. After many name changes, the firm did not become the Whiting Manufacturing Company until 1866. The company’s first factory was in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The factory was destroyed by a fire in 1875, which led the Company to merge its production operations with its administrative offices in New York.

The Whiting Manufacturing Company’s trademark was an encircled ‘W’ next to a griffin. Each year, the Company manufactured a different design on its silverware. The black raspberry pattern on this cheese scoop was manufactured in 1880.

The Whiting Manufacturing Company was known for creating exceptional handmade sterling silver pieces. It continued to operate until 1924 when it was purchased and then merged with another firm, Gorham Silver.

Photo 1: Cheese Scoop, 1880. Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, acc. No. 1987.019, donated by Dorothy Hawkins.
Photo 2: Whiting Manufacturing Company mark on backside of scoop handle.

*50 for 50 Spotlight*

2️⃣9️⃣: Beth Van Doren

1) How many years were you with the museum and what was your position?

I volunteered as a docent from 2001-2008.

2) What were some of the things you did at Lee-Fendall?

As a docent, I gave guided tours of the museum. I also assisted with special events, such as the annual Historic Alexandria Candlelight tours, historic happy hours, Easter egg hunts, chocolate tastings in the garden, and Alexandria historic homes tours, and other programs.

3) How did you come to volunteer at Lee-Fendall?

I have always loved historic homes and places. I moved to Alexandria in 2001 and soon took a tour of the Lee-Fendall house while exploring Old Town. The house has such an interesting history and I had such a great conversation with the docent. When the docent mentioned opportunities to volunteer, I signed up right away and enjoyed every second! Thank you so much for the opportunity.

4) What were some of the things that you learned during your time at Lee-Fendall?

The simple answer is John L. Lewis, as I did not know much about this Labor Leader prior to becoming a docent. I learned a lot by engaging with visitors. I discovered what brought them to the Lee-Fendall house, such as interests in local history to architecture to the people who had lived and worked there. I learned something new every tour - how to listen and tailor the tours to enhance their experience, as well as new information from them based on their interests and perspectives.

5) What is your favorite memory of Lee-Fendall?

It is hard to choose just one. I truly enjoyed giving tours to visitors. I also enjoyed the time between the tours, and getting to know the other docents and staff members. Everyone had such different experiences, and it was wonderful hearing their stories. The Historic Candlelight tours were always a favorite - seeing the house decorated was such a wonderful way to celebrate history and the season.

Photo 2: Beth Van Doren with her grandmother in the Lee-Fendall garden, early 2000s.

Summer Olympics trivia is this Friday! Sign up today at leefendallhouse.eventbrite.com

Do you enjoy trivia? Discover Alexandria's rich history in a fun and engaging way on Trivia Night at Historic Sites at Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden! Sign up for the next event themed "Summer Olympics", on Friday, July 26 from 7-9pm! Tickets are $12 per person, which includes a drink ticket. Gather your team (up to 6 members) and secure your spot now — registration is first come, first served!


https://tinyurl.com/4f5ajp4y

*50 for 50 Spotlight*

2️⃣8️⃣: Carol Holder Hunley

Carol Holder Hunley was a Lee-Fendall docent starting in 1989 and through the 1990s. Hunley was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1928. After moving around for a few years due to her husband’s, Bill Hunley (also a Lee-Fendall docent), job with the Navy, the two eventually settled in Alexandria.

In Alexandria, Hunley was involved in many organizations - especially those promoting historic preservation. Hunley was a part of the Historic Alexandria Docents (HAD) organization - later becoming the Lee-Fendall Representative for HAD - Apothecary Museum, Lyceum and the Alexandria Seaport Foundation. Outside of her volunteer work, Hunley wrote a book on John Champe, a member of “Light Horse” Harry Lee’s Dragoons.

Carol Hunley died in 2003. A tree was planted in the Lee-Fendall garden in her honor.

Photo 1: Carolyn Holder Hunley’s obituary notice in the local newspaper, 2003.
Photo 2: Tree planting in honor of Carol Holder Hunley in the Lee-Fendall garden, Spring 2003.

in 1863, Private Oliver England was admitted into the Grosvenor Branch Hospital (the confiscated Lee-Fendall House during the Civil War) for subacute rheumatism.

Oliver England was born in England in 1834 and immigrated to New York when he was 14 years old. England worked as a mason prior to enlisting in September of 1861. He was enlisted into Company G of the 8th Illinois Cavalry.

While recovering at the Grosvenor Branch Hospital, England was transferred to the 116th Veteran Reserve Corps, Company 25 (2nd Battalion). He was then retained to work as a hospital steward at the Grosvenor Branch Hospital. A hospital steward had many responsibilities - he was in charge of organizing and gathering all prescriptions, ensured that all supplies were fully stocked, kept meticulous records of all medication given to each patient, and led any other hospital administrative tasks.

Oliver England died in 1906 at the age of 72.

Photo: Oliver England’s retention to remain at the Grosvenor Branch Hospital as a hospital steward, 1863.

Are you interested in a career in museums and seeking experience in museum education and programming? Apply for Lee-Fendall’s Fall 2024 Museum Education internship today!

📌Tasks:
- Assist in the organization of events and programs currently scheduled for the 2024 Fall/Winter season.
- Create ideas to boost social media engagement.
- Collaborate with the museum staff on developing new events and programs at Lee-Fendall.
- Assist with the research and development of new educational experiences in the Lee-Fendall garden.
- Provide general house tours, if needed.

✔Qualifications:
- Currently enrolled in an education, museum education, or museum studies bachelor or graduate degree program or be a recent graduate within twelve months of program completion.
- Previous experience in organizing educational programs.
- Previous experience in leading tours and/or presenting to large groups.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Previous experience in historical research.

📆Schedule:
- Duration: September-November (dates are flexible)
- 15 hours a week (equivalent to two full days and one half-day in the museum)

*50 for 50 Spotlight*

2️⃣7️⃣Hildreth Dickerson

Hildreth Dickerson was one of the longest-serving docents at Lee-Fendall. Dickerson began as a docent in 1974 within the first few months of Lee-Fendall opening as a historic house museum. She was given a tour by Frances Shively, the first Executive Director of Lee-Fendall, which “left her with a desire to know more about the Lees and the history of the house. From this casual beginning emerged a devoted docent”. For the next 21 years, Dickerson was a regular museum docent and was also, at one point, a Weekend Manager.

Outside of Lee-Fendall, Dickerson owned The Pewter Plate, an antiques shop in Alexandria, and also volunteered at the Fort Belvoir Thrift Shop and Little Theater of Alexandria. She was an extensive traveler who also lived in Germany for four years.

Dickerson was scheduled for docent shifts in every month of 1995 until her passing in November. The January 1996 museum newsletter stated: “Hildreth will be greatly missed by the staff and volunteers at the Lee-Fendall House. She was a devoted, hard-working, and enthusiastic docent who delighted all of us with her sweet and charming personality”. Hildreth is remembered today through a plaque memorial in the Lee-Fendall garden.

Photo 1: Hildreth Dickerson (left) with Phil Slattery (above, Chief Financial Officer, 1995-2012) and Nancy Brockman (right, Director of Development and Museum Programs, 1983-1994) at a docent recognition event in 1994.
Photo 2: Plaque memorial of Hildreth Dickerson in the Lee-Fendall garden.

What a great day to celebrate 2️⃣7️⃣5️⃣!

Happy Birthday, Alexandria!

The Alexandria Historical Society started the day with our History Behind the Scenes tour about the USCT soldiers who changed Alexandria and the United States. Many thanks to everyone who came out to engage with our city's past this morning. Thank you to David Heiby, Paula Tarnapol Whitacre, and Pam Cressey for being our guides (and for wrapping up the tour right before the weather got toasty!).

Missed the tour but still hankering for some history? Not to worry, our friends at Historic Alexandria, VA, Carlyle House Historic Park, and Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden have you covered. Many of the city's museums and historic sites are open this afternoon.

This evening, remember to head down to the waterfront for the birthday celebrations hosted by the City of Alexandria.

Happy Birthday, Alexandria! The City is turning 2️⃣7️⃣5️⃣ this year, and tonight is the night for the annual fireworks show.

Want to walk around one of Alexandria’s awesome historic house museums before the fireworks tonight? While not as old as the City, the Lee-Fendall House was built in 1785 and was a private residence for 187 years until it opened as a museum in 1974. We are open today until 4 PM with guided tours on the hour.

Photo: Birds Eye View of Alexandria, courtesy of the Library of Congress.

*50 for 50 Spotlight*

2️⃣6️⃣: Elizabeth “Lib” Kerr

The Lee-Fendall House was purchased by the Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation (VTHP) in 1972. For two years, all of the restoration work to open the property as a museum went into the house. The other half of the property, its garden, was overlooked and left untouched even many years prior to the VTHP purchase.

Shortly after the museum’s opening in 1974, Elizabeth Kerr was walking past the garden and noticed its run-down state. She walked over to the house and asked a staff member, “I need a project. Can I help you?”. From that moment, Kerr took it upon herself to restore the garden and have it resemble a Victorian-era garden much like the one created during the 1850 renovation of the property.

Kerr assembled 17 local garden clubs who raised $75,000 and tirelessly worked on the garden every day. Kerr spearheaded projects such as installing brick walkways and walls, planting rosebeds and boxwoods, and reconstructing the brick privy which was an original outbuilding of the garden in 1785. The garden was fully restored in ten years.

A celebration tea party was held on June 4, 1984 to honor all of Kerr’s work to the Lee-Fendall garden. During this event, it was announced that a $25,000 permanent endowment fund was established by the Alexandria Council of Garden Clubs to the VTHP for the perpetual maintenance of the garden. In addition, Kerr was awarded the Horticulture Award, a high honor awarded by the Garden Club of America.

Kerr is remembered in the Lee-Fendall garden today with a dedication plaque on the restored brick outbuilding and the pink dogwood tree which was planted in her honor in 1990.

Photo: Lib Kerr at the celebration tea party on June 4, 1984 holding up the prestigious Horticulture Award that she received from the Alexandria Council of Garden Clubs.

Have you gotten your ticket yet for our third trivia night of the summer with Carlyle House Historic Park this Friday? Trivia will happen rain or shine! In the event of rain, trivia will be moved inside the Lee-Fendall House (but let's think sunny thoughts). Regardless, come on out and test your knowledge of Alexandria History. Tickets are $12 and must be purchased in advance as this event tends to sell out.

We are excited to announce that Alexandria Colonial Tours will be the sponsor of Alexandria History night for the second year in a row! Test your history knowledge, drink some wine provided by Wine Gallery 108 and enjoy this awesome event put together by Lee-Fendall and Carlyle House!

in 1864, Private Joseph Grant died in the Grosvenor Branch Hospital (the confiscated Lee-Fendall House during the Civil War) due to typhoid fever.

Joseph Grant was born in New Brunswick, Canada and enlisted into Company E of the 31st Maine Infantry. Only one month into joining the Union Army, Grant contracted measles. It is due to measles that Grant found himself admitted into the Grosvenor Branch Hospital on April 27, 1864. He was treated for two and a half months at the hospital. During this time, Grant contracted typhoid fever and died on July 6, 1864.

Typhoid fever was the second leading cause of death for soldiers in the Civil War. Just after dysentery, with a recorded 57,000 cause of deaths, typhoid took just over 27,000 lives in the Union Army alone. Typhoid was prominent in both camps and hospitals due to the lack of sanitation (both of the men and the areas they surrounded) and improper placement of latrines.

Photo 1: Joseph Grant’s death recorded in Grosvenor Branch Hospital ledger, 1864.
Photo 2: Joseph Grant’s gravesite in the Alexandria National Cemetery (Section B #2358).

Lee-Fendall is excited to announce that it will be hosting Catherine Weinraub, the Historian of the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association, who will present the history of the Friendship Fire Company and how it evolved from a firefighting company to a philanthropic group, including its ties to the Lee-Fendall House. The lecture, “The Friendship Fire Company: From Fighting Fires to City Museum”, will be on Saturday, August 10th at 6 PM.

Tickets are $10 for the general public and free for museum members (members, please call the museum to reserve your ticket). Visit the leefendallhouse.eventbrite.com to purchase yours today as seats are limited!

*50 for 50 Spotlight*

2️⃣5️⃣: Robert Calhoun

Robert Calhoun was a Lee-Fendall Board of Directors member between the 1990s and 2000s.

Calhoun served on the Alexandria City Council from 1976-1981 and 1984- 1988. During his time as city council member, he promoted the establishment of the Torpedo Factory Arts Center and was involved in the development of the DASH bus system. He was then elected as a Virginia State Senator in 1989 and continued to serve until 1996.

Calhoun was an Alexandria resident for 55 years. He was apart of the Lee-Fendall Board roughly from 1996 through 2004. Even after stepping off the Board, he continued to be a significant donor of the museum for many more years.

Photo: Robert Calhoun (right) at the museum's 30th Anniversary party in 2004 in the Lee-Fendall garden.

in 1863, Private Charles W. Needham died in the Grosvenor Branch Hospital (Lee-Fendall House today) due to a gunshot fracture to the cranium he sustained at the Battle of Aldie.

Charles Needham was born in Georgetown, Massachusetts and worked as a farmer. He was 24 years old when he enlisted into Company I of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry. He was admitted into the Grosvenor Branch Hospital several days later than other injured soldiers from the Battle of Aldie. He died the same day he was admitted.

The Battle of Aldie took place on June 17, 1863. While it was not a victory for either the Union or Confederacy, it was a crucial moment in the American Civil War as it pushed Robert E. Lee’s army north towards Gettysburg.

📌 Interested in learning more on the history on the Grosvenor Branch Hospital? Lee-Fendall will be having our Civil War Hospital house tour on Saturday, July 6 at 2 PM. Tickets can be purchased at: leefendallhouse.eventbrite.com.

Photo 1: Charles W. Needham's gravesite in the Alexandria National Cemetery (Section A #875).
Photo 2: Charles Needham's death recorded in Grosvenor Branch Hospital ledgers, 1863.

It was a great night for our second summer trivia night with Carlyle House Historic Park! Join us on Friday, July 12th for Alexandria History trivia (sponsored by Alexandria Colonial Tours).

📰 Lee-Fendall in the News:

On Monday, The Washington Post published an article relating to a portrait of Mary Ann Tritt Cassell that is currently on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Mary Ann Tritt Cassell was born in 1807 and daughter to Henrietta Steptoe, a formerly enslaved woman who once lived and worked at the Lee-Fendall House. Henrietta, born into slavery in 1779, moved to Alexandria when she was enslaved to Flora Lee - a stepdaughter to Philip Richard Fendall who had the Lee-Fendall House built in 1785.

Records indicate that Henrietta was freed in 1801 by Flora's husband, Ludwell Lee, and moved into a small free Black community in Georgetown. Henrietta was a successful midwife and nurse for nearly 40 years in the Georgetown community. She died on June 2, 1850 and is buried in the Holy Rood Cemetery in Georgetown.

The portrait of Henrietta’s daughter likely dates to around 1839-40 when Mary Ann married Henry Cassell. During this time, it was common for parents to commission portraits of their daughters at the time of their marriage. Mary Ann's mother, Henrietta, was the person who likely commissioned this portrait. As the article states, this portrait is significant because it is one of the earliest known portraits to be commissioned by a formerly enslaved person - a woman who was at the Lee-Fendall House in the late 18th century.

Read the full Washington Post article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2024/06/24/mary-ann-tritt-cassell-portrait/.

in 1979, the U.S. Coast Guard ship, Eagle, docked in the Port of Alexandria for a four-day visit. That evening, a reception was held at the Lee-Fendall House for officials of the Coast Guard and Department of Transportation.

The Eagle is a three-masted sailing ship that has been a Coast Guard training ship since 1946. It was originally built in 1936 in Germany, but was re-commissioned as a U.S. Coast Guard ship after the U.S. acquired it from Germany as part of World War II reparations.

The Eagle has docked in Alexandria several times, including the Bicentennial in 1976 and as recently as 2017.

Photo: The Eagle docked in the Port of Alexandria for the Bicentennial. More than 15,000 people visited the ship during its four-day visit in 1976.

*50 for 50 Spotlight*

2️⃣4️⃣: Eleanor Garrus

Eleanor Garrus was a docent of the Lee-Fendall House Museum in 1983.

Prior to Alexandria, Garrus was an original docent of the Pearce-McAllister House located in Denver, Colorado when it opened as a historic house museum in 1982. While the house originally opened to present its history as a private residence, it soon became the home of the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys until 2018.

In Alexandria, Eleanor not only gave tours at Lee-Fendall, but was also a docent at Carlyle House and Gadsby’s Tavern. The November 1983 Lee-Fendall newsletter noted that “Eleanor can be found on Wednesday mornings giving tours at the Lee-Fendall House”.

Photo: Eleanor Garrus on the Lee-Fendall sun porch during a wedding, Fall 1983.

This red lacquer box was the first “cash register” of the Lee-Fendall House when it opened as a historic house museum in 1974.

Jay Johns, founder of the Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation, purchased this historic house from its last private owner on July 14, 1972 (Johns’ 84th birthday). After a significant amount of renovations were completed inside the house, the museum then had to collect many historical pieces to be able to furnish each of the six period rooms. The house officially opened as the Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden on March 25, 1974 with a 50 cent admission fee for adults and 25 cent entrance fee for kids.

Not surprisingly, our admission prices are a little higher these days, but all proceeds continue to aid in the historic preservation of this museum.

Have weekend plans? Visit Lee-Fendall this Saturday (10-4) or Sunday (1-4), take a guided tour to learn its history as a private residence from 1785 through 1972, and visit our special exhibits: “50 Years of the Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden” and “The Beauty of the Garden: A Horace Day Exhibition”. Best part: we have air conditioning!

📣 Calling all Old Town dog owners 📣

Did you know that the Lee-Fendall garden is open for walkers, tourists, and even four-legged friends?

We welcome all dogs (under supervision and leashed) to enjoy our little oasis off of Washington Street! There are many ways to enjoy the garden, including relaxing on the lawn or wandering along the brick pathway.

Did you know that we have the best neighbors?

Thank you so much to Olde Towne School For Dogs for this awesome treat jar and all the treats inside, which you will find in the garden right next to the water dish also provided by the OTSFD.

The Lee-Fendall garden is open Wednesdays through Saturdays 10-4 and Sundays 1-4. We hope to see you soon!

*50 for 50 Spotlight*

2️⃣3️⃣: Jody Zogran

Jody Zogran was a docent at Lee-Fendall in the early to mid 1990s. Zogran received her BA degree in Communications at Bowie State, then went to West Penn School of Nursing in Pittsburgh. She practiced as a Registered Nurse for over 50 years, including caring for polio patients at the Pittsburgh Municipal Hospital as the vaccine was being developed. She was interviewed by PBS on the documentary, “The Shot Felt ‘Round the World” in which Zogran shared the impact her work at the clinic had on her.

At Lee-Fendall, Zogran not only gave tours, but also researched collections pieces, and coordinated events such as a Victorian Afternoon Tea in 1994 which brought together members of the museum’s board, staff and volunteers to honor two volunteers as Lee-Fendall’s Docents of the Year in 1993 and 1994.

Photo: Jody Zogran (center) with Education Director (left) and the Curator of Collections (right) at the Victorian Afternoon Tea in 1994.