The Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden has announced the appointment of Jenny Waters as the new museum director in the midst of preservation efforts for the historic property.
The promotion was made by the museum’s board of directors. Waters first joined the Lee-Fendall House as a collections management intern in summer 2022 to catalog and care for the museum’s collection. She was named collections assistant in fall 2022 and the collections and programming manager in summer 2023.
“I am truly grateful for this opportunity and excited to continue working alongside our dedicated staff, volunteers, board members, and supporters,” said Waters. “Together, we will continue preserving the history of the Lee-Fendall House while creating meaningful experiences that connect our community with Alexandria’s past.”
Since joining the museum, Waters launched the museum’s World War II Walking Tour of Alexandria, founded the annual Wine & Art Night spring fundraiser, and curated three special exhibitions, including the “At Home with Henry ‘Light Horse Harry’ Lee,
on display through the end of 2026. The museum also credits Waters with expanding programing, boosting community engagement, and increasing support through new grants, volunteers and partnerships.
“Jenny took the helm during a difficult transition and turned this museum around. In just over a year, she grew membership by 38 percent, secured new grant funding, and built a stronger team that draws new volunteers and interns to Lee-Fendall,” said Dave Heiby, treasurer of the Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns and operates the Lee-Fendall House Museum. “Jenny is a huge asset to this museum, and her promotion to Museum Director is fully deserved.”
Waters’ appointment comes amid ongoing preservation efforts, including installing historically appropriate wallpaper in the home’s period rooms and returning the sun porch to its 19th century appearance. The new director plans to continue boosting partnerships with local businesses and organizations, membership opportunities and visitor experiences.
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden was built in 1785 for Philip R. Fendall, who is part of the Fendall and Lee families. The home hosted several generations of the Lee family between 1785 and 1903, as well as enslaved and free Black people who worked on the property. It became a hospital for the Union Army during the Civil War and later liquor purveyor Robert Downham and labor leader John L. Lewis. The Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation bought the home and opened it as a museum in 1974. Today, the museum tells the history of people who lived there between 1785 to 1972 through guided tours, rotating exhibitions,
educational programs and special events.
