Madeline Feierstein

Madeline Feierstein is an Alexandria, VA historian and founder of Rooted in Place, LLC – which provides historical consulting, guided tours, educational materials. She leads significant projects documenting the soldiers who were treated and fell in wartime Alexandria. Her lectures and projects reflect growing conversations in Alexandria surrounding the city’s role during the Civil War. Madeline is a writer for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and contributes to Emerging Revolutionary War.

Originally from Washington D.C., Madeline earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminology from George Mason University. She has received her Master of Arts in American History from Southern New Hampshire University. Her first book, “Occupied Alexandria,” will be published by Arcadia Publishing in October 2026.

Besides a love of history, Madeline enjoys learning foreign languages and is a big fan of Harry Potter (proud Ravenclaw). She has a pet rabbit named Paquito, who always sits by her as she writes. Explore her research and book a tour at www.madelinefeierstein.com.

A full listing of Madeline’s Emerging Civil War articles can be found here.

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Madeline is also a member of the Emerging Civil War Speakers Bureau. Her available presentations are listed below:

Investigating Alexandria’s Civil War Prisons: Confinement & Justice During Union Occupation
An examination of the conditions of Alexandria’s five prisons as a response to rising crime rates and disorder in the city while under martial law.

St. Elizabeth’s Asylum: Civil War Care at the Government Hospital for the Insane
This lecture sheds light on the role that the St. Elizabeths psychiatric hospital played in Civil War Washington, and as an experiment in care for the mentally-ill in the 19th Century.

Philip Fendall II: Anti-Slavery in Antebellum Washington
An exploration into the political leanings and legal actions of Philip Fendall II, first cousin to Robert E. Lee, who opposed slavery and yet benefitted from the institution.

Grosvenor Branch Hospital: The Confiscation of the Lee-Fendall House
A detailed account of how the historic Lee-Fendall House in Alexandria transformed into a Union Army hospital, utilizing data and stories from the medical ledgers.