Homestead by the Main Road - Newport News VA
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 37° 11.982 W 076° 34.554
18S E 360145 N 4118189
In 1850 Lee purchased a 452-acre tract of land, which was listed as “the homestead by the main road.” He began construction of this house in the mid-1850s.
Waymark Code: WM137WY
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 10/06/2020
Views: 1
Homestead by the Main Road-Lee Hall Mansion is the only Italianate antebellum plantation house on the lower Peninsula. It was completed in 1859 and was home to Richard D. Lee, justice of the peace for Warwick County. In 1850 Lee purchased a 452-acre tract of land, which was listed as “the homestead by the main road.” He began construction of this house in the mid-1850s.
Built on high ground, Lee Hall Mansion provided a commanding view of the countryside and was visible to travelers on the Great Warwick Road. Lee’s stately home consisted of three floors, 12 rooms and fireplaces and over 6,000 square feet. It served as the headquarters for Confederate generals Joseph E. Johnston and John B. Magruder from March through May 1862. The Confederate War Department rented 8 rooms from Mr. Lee.
Several architectural styles are visible at Lee Hall. Scrolled bracketed cornices support the Italianate porticos and low-hipped roof. The interior contains three original plaster ceiling medallions and a Georgian symmetrical floor plan with rooms opening into a long central hallway. The exterior also has Greek Revival dentils on the architrave and Gothic columns near the sidelights.
Group that erected the marker: Newport News Historical Society
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
Yorktown Road (Virginia Route 238)
located on the grounds of Lee Hall Mansion
Newport News, VA USA
23603
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed
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