Arlington House, home of the famous Confederate general Robert E. Lee and his family, is located in the Arlington National Cemetery, 200 acres of which was originally owned by the Lee family. Lee's wife Mary Custis was the great-granddaughter of George Washington, and inherited the house.
The house has been preserved as a memorial to Lee, although the impulse to honor Lee is historic and in hindsight only. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Lee turned down command of the Union army in deference to his Southern roots, resigned from the Union army, and ended up ironically as commander of the Confederate army. At the war's outbreak, Lee's wife fled the home for her own safety, taking only a few valuables. She was never able to return, nor was Lee. Union forces occupied the property and then selected it as the site of the now-called Arlington National Cemetery. Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, a Southerner himself who had served under Lee in the U.S. Army, hated Southerners who had turned against the Union. In retaliation, he ensured that graves were dug right in front of the mansion's front door, and personally supervised the burial of 26 Union soldiers in Mrs. Lee's rose garden.
Arlington House has since been made a memorial in honor of Lee, and is open for visitors. It is still decorated in the same way as when the Lees lived in it, and Park rangers attend the site dressed in period costumes.
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- Arlington House is open to visitors every day from 9:30am to 4:30pm, with the exception of January 1st and December 25th when Arlington National Cemetery is also closed.
- Guided Tours:
- Check with the ranger at the door to see if guided tours will be offered during your visit. In lieu of a free guided tour, self-guided tours and audio (cell phone) tours of the house will be available during your visit.
- Admission:
- Free
- Metro Stop:
- Blueline to the Arlington Cemetery Station
- Contact:
- Location: George Washington Memorial Parkway, McLean, VA
- Phone: 202-235-1530
- Website: www.nps.gov
