Arlington House — Attraction in Arlington

Taken from the NPS flyer - Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial is the only national memorial that honors a person who fought a war against the United States government. However, Arlington House is not a memorial honoring the Confederacy. Instead, the legislation that created the memorial honors Robert E. Lee for very specific reasons, most importantly for his role in promoting peace and reunion following the American Civil War.

Rather than a static monument to the man, Arlington House is a living memorial. It exists as a place of study and contemplation of the meaning of some of the most difficult aspects of American history: military service, sacrifice, citizenship, duty, loyalty, slavery, and freedom.

The home has been beautifully restored with period pieces from that time. The faux marble paint on the outside of the building is beautiful as it is hard to tell its not real marble until you get right up to it. Marble at that time was very expensive and the Custis family didn't have that kind of money to lavish on the building!!

On the grounds you can see the kitchen garden, a bookstore and slave quarters buildings. The view of Washington is spectacular from the...

The Arlington House, also referred to as the Robert E. Lee Memorial, is an important historical landmark in D.C. and the United States. You can see this attraction as part of your visit to the Arlington National Cemetery. Opening Hours are 9-5pm daily.

Built upon the high grounds of Arlington in 1802-1804 and overlooking the Potomac River and Washington D.C., this was the home of Robert E. Lee, General of the Confederate States during the American Civil War.

The mansion house features Greek revival characteristics, including an imposing portico fronted by large columns. You will be impressed by the views from this location. Within the house, are a handful of rooms decorated with period furniture, offering a glimpse of pre Civil War life at the Arlington House.

You can find the Arlington House by climbing the hill at the end of Memorial Avenue, first passing the JFK grave site. The mansion is clearly visible and easy to find. There will likely be many other visitors making way by foot or by organised tours arranged at the nearby Visitor Centre. Just follow the...

Our visit to this house, a memorial to Robert E. Lee, was the highlight of our recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery due to the superb presentation on the history of the house and its occupants by a park ranger named Scott. Few historical presentations I've attended have been more knowledgable or more insightful....

The house and attendant slave quarters naturally require judgments on the occupants that you might otherwise prefer to avoid. I don't like framing the past in light of modern sensibilities, but slavery has a way of forcing unpleasant judgments and it's hard not to think less of Robert E. Lee after viewing this house, reading its history, seeing the slave quarters and understanding just how implicated personally in the institution of slavery Lee actually was. The beating of escaped slaves who had been bequeathed freedom within five years by Lee's father-in-law in his will is a dark blot on the reputation of Lee.

Yet the Union stole the house and grounds from the Custis family, and their actions are not uncensurable either. A sad site. Sad in...