Destination: The Northern Neck
A visit to the birthplace of Confederate General Robert E. Lee – named Stratford Hall after his ancestral home in Shropshire, England – offers a tranquil day trip along Virginia’s road less traveled.
Robert E. Lee was the last of the Lees to be born at Stratford Hall, later explaining that “Stratford … is endeared to me by many memories.” Photo by Paul Jean
Here you will learn about the five generations of Lees who lived at Stratford Hall, and of the profound impact early members had on the beginning of a new republic. The Union they helped to build proved so strong that even the bloodiest conflict in American history would not destroy it.
Founding Father and President John Adams once remarked that the Lees gave us “More men of merit than any other family,” having produced two signers of the Declaration of Independence, one governor of the Virginia Colony and a distinguished Revolutionary War commander. But it is largely for the role in history one Lee played that the name is best known today.
Robert Edward Lee came into the world in the bed chamber of the stately Southern plantation home on January 19, 1807, but he lived at the mansion for less than four years before his father, Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee, relocated the family to Alexandria.
The Chamber was the most private room in the house, and the infant Robert E. Lee slept in a spindled crib like the one on display. Courtesy of Stratford Hall
The Lees had fallen on hard times and, after Light-Horse Harry died, the future general could not afford a university education. So Lee garnered an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point, and there he began a distinguished military career.
He earned three honorary field promotions in the Mexican War, became Assistant to the Chief of the Engineer Corps and Superintendent of West Point, and commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. After the Civil War, Lee became the president of what is now Washington and Lee University.
But from 1807 to 1810, Robert E. Lee wasn’t any of those things; he was just a little boy enjoying a few short years in the house he would always call home. Built in the 1730s by great-uncle Thomas Lee, Stratford Hall was once a thriving plantation, a self-sufficient community that produced tobacco, wheat, barley, oats, flax and corn.
The Potomac River was the lifeline of Stratford Hall, and the plantation’s economy was based on the labor of its slaves and indentured servants. In 1782 the Lees owned approximately 137 slaves, divided among numerous living quarters on the property. The total number of Lee family members and white servants living on the property is estimated at 12.
The slave quarters located closest to the Great House were constructed of stone for improved appearance and resistance to fire. Photo by Paul Jean
Stratford Hall is now owned and operated by the Robert E. Lee Memorial Association, and a multi-million dollar restoration of the Great House is under way to restore several rooms to their late 18th century appearance.
Tickets for a guided tour of the mansion may be purchased in the Stetson Building, where visitors can learn about the Lee family’s historical legacies and discover the wide variety of activities available at this 1,900-acre plantation. Most sightseers are surprised to learn that they can collect sharks teeth and fossils by walking along the small strip of beach adjacent to the grist mill.
The Miocene Cliffs are closed to the public, but visitors are welcome to comb the beach in search of the fossils of prehistoric sea creatures. Courtesy of Stratford Hall
A wood and steel bridge leads to the historic area, crossing a deep ravine – and the past two centuries. A docent will guide you through the house – built from 600,000 bricks that were made on the plantation from its clay and oyster shells and then hand-rubbed by its slaves.
Two meticulously restored and recreated stone buildings housed the families of enslaved people who worked in or near the Great House. The slave quarters are remarkable for both their level of detail and the insight they provide.
The dining room was a multi-purpose room that served as the center of family life at Stratford Hall. Courtesy of Stratford Hall
A guided tour of the house gives a look at the lives of all five generations of Lees, as well as the lives of their slaves and servants. You’ll see an impressive collection of American and English decorative arts that combine family pieces, period pieces and reproductions.
The Great Hall, resplendent in Georgian symmetry, has been described as one of the most beautiful rooms in America. You’ll be asked to take a seat and listen to a brief background of the family and the home, and then you’ll be walked through the mansion. Of special note is the room in which Robert E. Lee was born.
While you’ll see formal rooms that are gorgeous, it’s the utilitarian spaces of Stratford Hall that are especially fascinating. The school room, wet and dry stores, spinning and weaving area, kitchen, wine cellar and laundry illustrate the complexity of life on an 18th century plantation.
In 1935 Stratford was dedicated as a memorial to the Lees, telling the story of a family, their home and their inextricable ties to American history.
When you go …
- Stratford Hall is currently open weekends, holidays and Robert E. Lee’s birthday.
- Great House admission is $10 for ages 12 and up, $5 for ages 6 – 11.
- Grounds Pass is $5 for ages 12 and up, $3 for ages 6 – 11.
- Hours vary by season; check www.stratfordhall.org.
- Tours are usually held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Arrive 15 minutes early to buy tickets.
- The Plantation Store sells gifts, books, souvenirs, honey, drinks and snacks.
The Directors Bridge crosses a ravine – and 200 years – delivering visitors to the Great House and environs. Photo by Paul Jean
Story copyright 2012, Elaine C. Jean. All rights reserved.
Photos, except as noted, copyright 2012, Paul N. Jean. All rights reserved.
