Pope–Leighey House

The Pope–Leighey House, formerly known as the Loren Pope Residence, is a suburban home in Virginia designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The house, which belongs to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has been relocated twice and sits on the grounds of Woodlawn Plantation, Alexandria, Virginia.

Loren Pope had become interested in Wright after seeing him on the cover of a 1938 Time Magazine issue, which included an article depicting his work on Fallingwater.

[3] In the article, Wright expressed a desire to design homes for middle-class Americans, in keeping with his interest in using architecture as a tool for progressive social reform.

[4] Wright responded that he only built houses for "people who deserved them" like middle-class families, noting that he would never design for those in the real estate business.

As the United States began to grow rapidly, architects imagined what the future of the nation might be like, and explored how they could set the tone of the coming century through their designs.

[4] The house features many of the key elements of Usonian architecture, including an L shape, a flat roof, natural building materials, cantilevered structure (particularly in the carport), and an integration of the outdoors with the indoors.

[6] Many architects turned to beautification and rational planning as a means towards progress, based on the idea that visual and structural beauty would contribute to better working and living conditions.

[7] Wright believed in this transformative ability of architecture, designing his houses with the intention of nurturing the lives of the middle-class people who inhabited them.

This principle is demonstrated at the Pope–Leighey House in the attention Wright paid to every component of the Popes' life there, down to the appliances, furniture, and decor.

This meant that the design of a building should revolve solely around its purpose, as opposed to any particular aesthetic, and that a complete concentration on function would inevitably result in beauty.

"[4] Wright wanted his designs to be practical, but was uninterested in purely utilitarian buildings whose appearance reflected their purpose and nothing more, as was often the case when following the principles of functionalism.

Wright wanted to reimagine the typical box shape that house design had come to rely on—he was more interested in deconstructing the space so that it might flow more freely, allowing rooms to merge into one another and experimenting with ceiling heights.

This philosophy was precipitated by scientific discoveries about the human psyche, which had caused architects to reevaluate the relationship of a building to the people inside it.

He drew on inspiration from nature in much of his work, which can be seen in this house in the materials: the use of brick and wood made the space feel like "a rustic hide-out in the mountains," according to Pope.

The French doors, along with a strip of clerestory windows, allow natural light and fresh air to enter the home.

[4] These windows, combined with vents and a concrete floor, enable natural regulation of temperature in the house without air conditioning, which was notably innovative at the time of design.

Usonian homes did not use stock materials, so every piece of the building had to be constructed on the site, including components like the windows and doors.

Concerned about the Popes' ability to afford the house, and determined to stick to his Usonian principle of accessibility for the middle class, Wright never requested his final payment.

Marjorie refused the condemnation award, instead donating the home to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who granted her the right to remain there for the rest of her life in return.

[9] The National Trust for Historic Preservation, with the help of the Secretary of the Interior, began a campaign to save the house from destruction, writing to the governor of Virginia suggesting that the highway might be rerouted.

Interior of house, looking into the living room.
Exterior of house, with a view of the flat roof.
Exterior view of clerestory windows.
Interior view looking south, showing the junction of the living room, dining area, and kitchen.
View of dining room through full-length windows
Pope–Leighey House at current location.