Arlington House - Arlington, VA - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

From Virginia: A Guide to the Old Dominion as part of Tour 12 (U.S. Route 50):

ARLINGTON HOUS (open 9-5 daily, March to Oct.; 9-4:30, Oct. to March; 9-6, April only), built by the step-grandson of George Washington, became the home of Robert E. Lee. The mansion, high above the Potomac on the crest of a wooded hill, has a massive Doric portico with six heavy columns, effective at a distance but somewhat heavy when seen close at hand. Set between magnolias that screen flanking wings, the portico is reminiscent of the Greek temple at Paestum. The lines of the stuccoed brick house, painted buff with white trim, are simple. The present furnishings are largely copies of those first used here.

The estate of 1,100 acres was bought in 1778 by John Parke Curtis, Marth Washington's son, and named for an older Custis estate (see Tour 2). Construction of the great house was begun about 1802 by George Washington Parke Custis but not entirely completed until after the War of 1812. In 1820 it was remodeled under direction of George Hadfield, an architect, who added the present portico. The large rooms were well designed for entertaining on a lavish scale.

Here in 1831 Mary Ann Randolph Custis, only child of George Custis, married Lieutenant Robert Edward Lee (1807-70). As a military man Lee was often absent, but Mrs.Lee and her seven children lived here until the three boys left for West Point or college. Driven out in 1861, the family never returned.

The estate was used as a training camp, and the title passed to the Federal Government in 1864, when the land was seized for unpaid taxes illegally imposed. Nearly 20 years later, the Government paid Custis Lee $150,000 for the property. Restoration of the house as a museum began in 1925.

Robert E. Lee was reared by his invalid mother. His father, the dashing, improvident, lovable 'Light Horse Harry' Lee, brilliant officer in the Revolutionary War, governor of Virginia, inmate of a debtor's prison, last saw Robert when the boy was six years old and the Revolutionary veteran was leaving for the south to regain his health. Five years later the older Lee died on Cumberland Island, Georgia. Graduating at West Point, second in the class of 1829, Robert E. Lee distinguished himself in the War against Mexico and was superintendent of West Point from 1852 to 1855. His last conspicuous service in the U.S. Army was the capture of John Brown at Harpers Ferry. In 1856 he wrote to his wife: '...slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil in any country ... a greater evil to the white than to the black race...' But when the lines were drawn five years later, he resigned his commission in the U.S. Army, refusing to lead it against Virginia. He wrote, 'I shall return to my native state and share the miseries of my people and, save in defence, will draw my sword no more.' Eventually, however, he led the Confederate forces and proved himself one of the great military commanders of all time. Within six months of the surrender at Appomattox, he became president of Washington College in Lexington, where he died in 1870.

The Guide does an excellent job of describing the history of the house. The National Park Service acquired the house in 1933 and continued the restoration started by the U.S. Army. Congress designated it the Custis Lee Mansion at that time, however in 1972 it was redesignated Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial.

Once again, restoration and modernization of the interior is underway by the Park Service. Only three rooms are open on the first floor, and none are open on the second floor. All the furniture has been removed so their currently isn't much to see. A park ranger is on hand to answer any questions. There is no admission fee to see the house, however since it is within Arlington National Cemetery you will need to pay to park at the cemetery's visitor center.

Book: Virginia Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 520-521 Year Originally Published: 1940

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