Originally built as the Fairfax family town residence, this house of three stories plus attic and basement was one of the most impressive in town. George Washington witnessed its sale in 1771 when the Fairfaxes decided to move to England. Their land holdings, the most extensive in northern Virginia, included the large plantation Belvoir (now a U.S. Army base). The house has been extensively altered over the years, especially c. 1800, so its appearance is more Federal than colonial.