Tower House

Fairfax County, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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Heritage registerNational Register of Historic Places↗

Tower House, also known as Edgewater and Marsland-on-the-Potomac, is a historic residence near Alexandria in Fairfax County, Virginia, notable for its architectural evolution across more than a century. Originally built in 1888 by John Young in the Italian Villa style, the house underwent significant transformations: an addition was constructed in 1888–89, and a comprehensive remodeling in 1900–1901 by railroad executive James Yeomans gave it its present transitional Queen Anne–Colonial Revival character. The 2½-story frame dwelling is distinguished by a steeply pitched hipped roof and a prominent semi-circular corner tower. The property passed through various owners, including James A. Drain, Sr., who renamed it Marsland-on-the-Potomac, and was used by the religious organization Baraca Philathea from 1941 to 1994 before undergoing extensive restoration. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 and designated a Virginia Historic Landmark.