Freeman Store
Also known as: Lydecker Store, Freeman House, Freeman Store & Museum; VDHR No. 153-0002
Why it's listed
Built in 1859 at the corner of Church Street and the railroad line in Vienna, Virginia, this two-story frame building combined a store and a family home. Abram Lydecker, a merchant who moved from New Jersey, put it up one year after the railroad reached the village. It was originally seven bays wide, but a two-bay section at the north end was moved in the late 1890s, leaving five bays under a side-gabled roof with weatherboard siding, a stone foundation and six-over-six windows. The building served as a general store, post office and hotel. During the Civil War, Union troops occupied the village, and photographs show soldiers on its porch; it also served as a brigade hospital for cavalry. Later the Freeman family used it as a home and insurance office. The Town of Vienna bought it in 1969 and rehabilitated it in 1975-77. It now operates as a museum and country store, open to the public.
Significance in brief: The building was constructed beside the new Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad and served as a general store, post office and hotel in the village then called Ayr Hill. During the Civil War it was used by Union forces, including as a brigade hospital for cavalry, and was photographed by Army photographers. It later housed the Freeman family's business and insurance office and was rehabilitated in the 1970s as a museum.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 11000834, listed May 15, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 131 Church St. NE., Vienna |
|---|---|
| County | Fairfax (city and county) |
| Listed | May 15, 2012 |
| Reference number | 11000834 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Other: Mid 19th Century Commercial |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Military, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored as a country/general store and museum open to the public, owned by the Town of Vienna and run by volunteers of Historic Vienna, Inc.; it was vacated in 1955 and rehabilitated in 1975-77. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 38.90334, -77.26510 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 11000834.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5501033
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.