About Me
Nathaniel Lee is an award-winning author and historian specializing in the greater Alexandria area and currently serves as Vice President of the Franconia Museum.
My Story
"The past is history, but it never gets old."
NATHANIEL LEE is not old enough to have seen all the important Franconia landmarks of days gone by, but he sure knows where they were located. Serving as a member of the Franconia Museum Board of Directors, historian and museum docent, Nathaniel is a great resource when memories get fuzzy. In fact, he has documented their location on a hand-drawn map that blends old and new landmarks in the Franconia community. It has already become an important tool when visitors to the Franconia Museum want to know where something is located. Nathaniel's family has lived here in the Franconia community for three generations, watching the area transform from a farming community to a bedroom suburb of Washington, D.C. He grew up next to Franconia Elementary School, which he attended, along with Mark Twain Middle School and Robert E. Lee High School. Nathaniel now lives next to the railroad described in his book, "The Iron Road of Franconia", and loves to listen to the train as it rumbles past in the night. -- Introduction written by Carl Sell, Jr.
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Want to learn more about the Franconia Museum?
Visit them at www.franconiamuseum.org
Why is a tour with me the best way to visit the area?
A customized
tour!
The tours are not “one-size-fits-all”. As your guide, I will figure out what interests you the most, gauge your existing knowledge level, and provide a unique tour designed specifically for you.
Answers to all of your questions!
You will see countless things along the tour – monuments, houses, terrain features, etc. – that will attract your attention. As your guide, I will be able to tell you what you are seeing, and the stories behind what you see.
You won’t get
lost!
You won’t get confused missing directional signs, dealing with road closures, and otherwise wasting time. As your guide, I know exactly where to go and will ride alongside you to point the way while you drive, so everyone can look out the window and enjoy the tour.
A family-friendly
tour!
As your guide, I will be able to keep young people interested and happy, while simultaneously telling grown-ups the story of the neighborhood.
You’ll know what to look at!
If you try to do the tour on your own, you may often be confused as to what you should be looking at, and which way you should look. As your guide, I will point the way.
You will feel the
history!
As your guide, I make sure that I can tell the stories of the people who lived in these neighborhoods or make the battlefield come alive for you. No mechanical or electronic device can match the skill and personal touch of a trained human guide.
Works by Nathaniel Lee
Nathaniel Lee has been creating historic content for over ten years and was awarded the Nan Netherton Award for Best Historical Work by the Fairfax County History Commission. This list includes works both written and edited by Nathaniel Lee.
2021
Color Franconia
Nathaniel authored this hand-drawn coloring book for adults featuring stories from Franconia's agricultural past with accompanying pictures of important places in the Alexandria area. Currently out-of-print.
2018
A Guide to the Historic Sites of Lee District
Nathaniel Lee edited this guide documenting 33 sites of importance to the Franconia neighborhood, 18 of which are listed on the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites. This guide is currently out-of-print.
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In the News
Read what others in the local community have had to say about Nathaniel's work!
