Reeder sees a glory in the generations of Alexandria residents, including members of the Brown, Huff, Fawcett and Cheesman families, who passed it down from generation to generation. вЂњItвЂ™s important for historians to see examples of that,вЂќ Reeder said. ItвЂ™s the uniqueness of the home вЂ“ owned by well-off merchants and businessmen who could afford to keep it in the family, but werenвЂ™t quite wealthy enough to extensively renovate it вЂ“ that contributes to its value. вЂњThis was owned by a successful family, but not a super wealthy family.вЂќ вЂњMost of the buildings we have saved are ones belonging to people that had money,вЂќ Reeder said. As Reeder points out, itвЂ™s one of the best examples of a home built in the 1700s that wasnвЂ™t owned by a member of AmericaвЂ™s super elite, such as George WashingtonвЂ™s Mount Vernon and Thomas JeffersonвЂ™s Monticello. Mallamo said the city is also looking into the possibility of hosting classes at the home dedicated to numerous topics, such as historical cooking.ДЇrom a research and history perspective, thereвЂ™s no doubt that 517 Prince St. Reeder said his friends in preservation claim the house is fragile and he worries that the home could require more maintenance than the city can afford if it gets the same volume of visitors as a museum housed in a modern building. вЂњTraipsing through with 40 school children on a rainy day would be difficult,вЂќ Reeder said. He would like to see the property maintained as much as possible and, if possible, used less as a museum with extensive foot traffic and more as a venue for research. Under the agreement, Reeder is guaranteed lifetime residency in the Prince Street home. This adds a beautiful public space one block from our main shopping street.вЂќ вЂњWe have limited park areas in Alexandria. вЂњBy purchasing a project that was not only for historic preservation, but for preservation of open space, itвЂ™s a dual benefit,вЂќ Mallamo said.

Park and as a living, breathing museum in the heart of Alexandria. The benefit to the city is clear: The home can function both as a A newer addition to the house, the kitchen is furnished with many antiques from Joe ReederвЂ™s personal collection (Photo Credit/James Cullum) I was looking to get it completely financed,вЂќ Mallamo said. вЂњI was looking for outside money while also minimizing the cityвЂ™s financial support. ItвЂ™s an effort that Mallamo led after a deal fell through that would have seen the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority purchase the home in conjunction with the city extending its lease on Cameron Run Park through 2036. The city recently finalized its deal to buy the Prince Street home for $1.25 million, a cost financed exclusively by outside preservation grants from the commonwealth of Virginia and other groups. вЂњIt could have been stripped of its original finishes.вЂќ вЂњIf he had sold it to someone else, one of the things I always say is, the greatest enemy to a historic house is someone with lots of money,вЂќ Mallamo said. Mallamo agrees with ReederвЂ™s assessment, saying that renovation is a huge concern in a building with so much historic value. вЂњThis house could easily be ruined by someone with money and without historical knowledge.вЂќ The homeвЂ™s timber foundation indicates it was built in 1772. вЂњI wanted it to be preserved,вЂќ Reeder said, while sitting in an antique armchair in the living room. ThatвЂ™s why he approached Lance Mallamo, director of the office of historic Alexandria, as he pondered putting it up for sale. Reeder, a lifelong preservation advocate who has owned historic homes throughout Alexandria for 55 years, is still dedicated to preserving the home. Since he bought the home, considered one of the most preserved 18 th century dwellings left - not just in Alexandria but in all of Northern Virginia вЂ“ for $850,000 in 2001, heвЂ™s invested nearly $500,000 into maintaining it and ordering historic studies on it. ItвЂ™s his attention to detail and passion for preservation and history that first brought him to the Prince Street house.

The exterior of 517 Prince St., which dates back to 1772 (Photo Credit/James Cullum) He enjoys pointing out those seemingly minute details to guests вЂ“ the line that delineates where the original set of stairs to the upper level begin, the pipe in the dining room where a gas lamp used to be. that goes unnoticed by its owner of 16 years, Joe Reeder.

Joe reeder