By Kim Turpin Davis
A stately Federal townhouse on Oronoco Street is witness to more than two centuries of Alexandria’s rich history. The home was built in 1795 as an investment for John Potts Jr., the first secretary of George Washington’s Potomac Company. In 1799, he deeded the property for $12,000 to William Fitzhugh of Chatham, a former delegate to the Continental Congress.
Upon Fitzhugh’s death in 1809, the property was passed onto his young son, William Henry Fitzhugh, and was subsequently rented to Revolutionary War cavalry hero Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee. The Lee family moved into the home around 1811 and resided there until 1816. Harry Lee sailed for the West Indies in 1813 and died on his journey home in 1818.
In 1820, his widow, Ann Hill Carter Lee, returned to the house with her children. Four years later, the Marquis de Lafayette visited her to honor his old comrade-in-arms. The family lived on Oronoco Street until 1825, when Robert E. Lee left for West Point and his mother moved to Georgetown. Robert E. Lee later became the commander of the Confederate States Army in the Civil War.
Throughout the years, the home welcomed many of the nation’s early leaders, including Washington and Lafayette, but it is best known as the boyhood home of Robert E. Lee. In 1967, the home was purchased by the Lee-Jackson Foundation to create a museum dedicated to Robert E. Lee.
The foundation could not afford the upkeep and sold the property in 2000, returning it to private ownership. It is listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
The path that led current owners David and Elizabeth Jochum to the home began on Capitol Hill, where the couple resided for nearly three years after marriage. Elizabeth is originally from Vienna, Virginia, and practices government contracts law at a large law firm in Washington. David, a naval architect from the Chicago area, founded Tridentis, a ship design and engineering firm in Alexandria known for its work for the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and other federal and commercial customers.
The Jochums moved to Old Town in 2015, drawn by the beauty and walkability of the neighborhood, and settled into a townhouse on South Lee Street, one of the most sought-after streets in Alexandria. There, the couple started a family that now includes three elementary and preschool-aged children.
“It was clear to us very early on that Old Town would be the perfect place to raise our family and grow our community long-term,” Elizabeth said. “The ability to walk to playgrounds, restaurants and school and spend time organically with the kids’ friends and our own in our beautiful, historic neighborhood just made it feel like our place in the world.”
With their third child on the way, the couple began looking for more space for their growing family. Elizabeth wrote notes to homeowners and searched real estate listings to find a suitable home for the family.
While the couple had initially limited their search to Alexandria’s southeast quadrant, they were captivated by the home on Oronoco Street. After serious consideration, the couple bought it for $4.2 million in the spring of 2023.
Elizabeth said the previous owners undertook extensive renovations of the home after its conversion from a museum to a private residence.
The Jochums’ early focus was to create a home uniquely their own from a design perspective while preserving both its history and functionality. Their plans incorporated necessary updates while taking their own personal style preferences into account.
A glimpse into the home’s front entrance showcases an expansive entry hall adorned with a crystal chandelier inspired by the tobacco leaves after which Oronoco Street is named.
The front hall is wrapped in a custom mural by Iksel called Romantic Bosphurus. Elizabeth said they fell in love with the mural because of its tie-in to Old Town’s maritime history and a nod to David’s love of ships.
On either side of the entry hall are two spacious rooms for entertaining. On the left is the original living room, and across the hallway is a dining room with ample space for hosting dinners and parties.
Elizabeth tapped Liz Mearns of Imagine Design, an accomplished interior designer known for styling beautiful homescapes for clients for more than 20 years. She is experienced in designing rooms that work in a historic home.
“Liz understood our vision right away,” Elizabeth said. “We wanted to preserve the historic character of the house while updating the design and functionality both for entertaining and for our family.”
The Jochums and the Imagine Design team began an extensive renovation process. Old carpets were removed and the floors beneath were in excellent condition, but in need of a fresh sanding.
Old drapes were removed to give the room a more open feel and to highlight the original window woodwork, including pocket shutters. The ceiling and wainscotting were painted the same color, employing the “color drenching” method now in vogue.
The living room across the hall reveals a classic elegance: an English bookcase is filled with books, including those collected by Elizabeth’s grandparents, as well as beloved ceramics and other souvenirs from the family’s travels. The home is scattered with historic details, including an original, functioning 1795 cast-iron bread oven from London and original brass fixtures on exterior doors.
Rooms that once hosted Washington and Lafayette are now home to the sounds of children’s laughter and the rhythm of everyday life.
“We’re very cognizant of our responsibility as stewards of this home and its history and are grateful our family has the opportunity to share our lives here like the many generations before us,” Elizabeth said.
The Jochums have given the home what no museum could: A new generation that will grow up in its walls, adding their own chapter to the home’s story.
The post Close to Home: Jochums add their own chapter to townhouse’s long-standing story appeared first on Alexandria Times.
