Part 3

THE MANSION. For all its imposing appearance when seen at a distance, the real size of the mansion is not apparent until seen close at hand. The central part of the building is 2 stories high, 60 feet wide, and 40 feet deep. One-story wings, each 40 feet long and 25 feet wide, extend to the north and south, making the length of the entire building 140 feet. In the rear are still lower wings for service and a conservatory.

Although the wings with their tall recessed windows and balustrade are quite pleasing, the magnificent portico is the salient architectural feature of the mansion, one of the earliest and best-known examples of Greek Doric porticos in America. This extends 25 feet from the front of the house and has 8 columns 23 feet high and somewhat over 5 feet thick at the base. Early authorities differ as to whether the portico was derived from the smaller, well-proportioned Greek temple at Athens known as the Theseum, or the larger, more imposing temple of Neptune at Paestum, Italy. There is no doubt, however, as to the effectiveness of the architectural style chosen, for no other would have had the strength and massiveness necessary to make the building impressive when viewed from across the river. Yet for all its simplicity and solidity, the proportions of the mansion are so refined as to make it an outstanding example of Greek Classic Revival architecture of the early nineteenth century.

The building is of the most solid construction throughout. All the walls and most of the foundations are of brick, as are the columns of the portico. All of the brickwork exposed to the weather is protected by hard stucco plaster scored with lines in imitation of cut stone. Joists, studs, and rafters are of hewn timber and are neatly mortised together or pinned with wooden pegs, scarcely any nails being used. Doors, cornices, and other woodwork are of pine. The main roof is supported by great barnlike trusses which span the entire width of the center section and originally was covered with wooden shingles, now replaced by slate. At one time the portico columns were painted to look like marble, but later were made white for better contrast with the warm buff or ochre color of the remainder of the house. Well constructed to begin with, the deterioration inevitable in any old building was entirely corrected when the War Department restored the building. Careful maintenance now assures a long and useful future for the Custis-Lee Mansion.

THE CONSERVATORY. Because flowers were important in the life of the Arlington household, it is most appropriate that present-day visitors enter the mansion through the conservatory. Both Mrs. Lee and her mother, Mrs. Custis, were devoted to their gardens and used flowers for decorations throughout the house. Called the “conservatory,” or “greenhouse,” and sometimes the “camellia house,” by those who lived there, this was the room in which they grew their favorite flowers and plants during the winter months or started young ones for transplanting outdoors. The floor of the conservatory has been restored, but the woodwork and most of the windows are original.

THE OFFICE AND STUDY. The management of a large estate like Arlington required an office where business could be transacted and records kept, and this long, narrow room was used as such by both Mr. Custis and Colonel Lee. Here the former worked on his literary efforts and carried on an extensive correspondence concerning agricultural matters and the life of General Washington. In his old age Mr. Custis also used it as his “painting room,” for in 1852 he wrote to a fellow artist: “I have an excellent studio fitted up in the South wing of the House, with a first rate light, ... a stove & everything comfortable.”

The desk in the corner was used by Lee during the years 1848 to 1852, while supervising the construction of Fort Carroll, near Baltimore, Md. Also of interest is his traveling chess set and the plain pine stand which Mrs. Lee gave to her personal maid, Selina Gray, whose descendants returned it to the house.

THE DINING ROOM. “The House will be a very showy handsome building when completed,” wrote a lady visiting Arlington in 1804. “The room we were in was 24 feet square & 18 feet high,” she continued. No doubt she was describing the present dining room, for here the Custises entertained their numerous guests before the large central section of the house was built. Later, Mr. Custis used it as a studio, and after his wife’s death, in 1853, it became Mrs. Lee’s “morning room,” where she answered her mail and managed the affairs of her household. Here Mrs. Lee was engaged in copying a portrait of her infant grandson when, in May 1861, she was informed that the Federal Army was soon to occupy Arlington and that she must leave at once.

The dining room has been restored to its earliest use. Most of the woodwork and windows are original, while the molding, plaster, and the beautiful door to the study are entirely so. An interesting architectural feature is the great semicircular arch at the north end of the room, reminiscent of the villas Architect George Hadfield saw in Italy during the years he studied there.

THE DRAWING ROOM. The drawing room remained unfinished for many years, not even being plastered, probably because Mr. Custis lacked the necessary funds. During these years it was known as the “big room” and in it were stored old furniture and the finished canvasses of Mr. Custis. On rainy days the Lee children often used it as a playroom. When Colonel Lee went to Texas, in 1855, he left instructions for its “renovation”—plastering the walls, installing a crystal chandelier, and painting the walls and woodwork. He also ordered marble mantels for the fireplaces. Mrs. Lee supervised the progress of the work in her husband’s absence, and the result must have been most pleasing, for a young lady who saw it in 1856 describes it as “a beautiful & noble drawing room, very handsomely furnished and hung too with paintings.”

The most valuable paintings were taken away by Mrs. Lee in 1861, but copies have been made for the restoration of this room. The sofa is original, as is the music cabinet near the piano. The woodwork and walls are finished off as Colonel Lee had them done in 1855.

THE HALL. A long hall extending from the front to the back was a common feature of Virginia houses of the period, because of the cooling draft of air it provided during hot weather. For this reason it was usually furnished with sofas and chairs and used as a summer parlor. The Lees and Custises would sit and converse here on warm summer evenings, or perhaps read the latest English novel aloud to each other. “The puss has appropriated the sofa in the parlor to himself, while I occupy that in the hall,” Mr. Custis observed humorously in a letter to his wife in 1831.

Characteristic of the Greek temples from which the mansion was adapted are the tall narrow doors at each end of the hall. The graceful round arches at the west end are typical of George Hadfield’s architectural work. High on the walls at this end are the spirited hunting frescoes painted by Mr. Custis himself. Elk and deer horns represent the collection of antlers begun by him when a lad at Mount Vernon. Suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the hall is a replica of the famous Mount Vernon lantern, the original of which hung here for more than 50 years. On the walls are copies of portraits once at Arlington, including one of George Washington painted by Mr. Custis.

THE FAMILY PARLOR. From an early date three arches have divided the large room north of the hall into a family parlor and a small dining room. Originally, there were doors and a fanlight in the center arch, while those on the outside were filled in with lath and plaster, probably to make the rooms easier to heat. The twin Carrara marble mantels are original, and are said to have been ordered by Mr. Custis from Italy.

The family parlor was the favorite gathering place of the Lees and Custises, who entertained most of their guests in it even after the drawing room was completed. Here the family passed the winter evenings reading or listening to Mr. Custis’ interesting stories of his boyhood at Mount Vernon. Each Christmas it was the family custom to kindle the great yule log in the fireplace with the remains of that from the previous year. The wedding of Mary Custis and Robert E. Lee took place in this room.

THE FAMILY DINING ROOM. Small and informal, the family dining room was used as such from the time the center section of the house was built until the Lees departed in 1861. Arlington was noted for its hospitality, and seldom was there a meal at which some guests were not present. When he was at home, it was Colonel Lee’s custom to gather rosebuds in the garden each morning and place one beside the plate of each of his daughters, the youngest getting the smallest bud, and so on up to the eldest.

Over the mantel hangs a portrait of Mr. Custis, copied from the original in the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C. On the mantel is a statuette, “The Three Graces,” said to have been imported from Italy by Mr. Custis about 1855. Among the dishes in the cupboard are two custard cups, a Wedgewood cream pitcher, and several other pieces which were originally at Arlington.

THE UPPER HALL. The simple staircase which ascends to the upper hall is typical of those in houses of classic revival style of architecture, since their temple prototypes had no second floor and hence no stairs. That the one in the mansion was carefully planned by the architect, however, is shown by the ingenious way in which one window serves to light the stair landing and the closet off it, as well as the hall below.

Like the one below, the upper hall was originally furnished with several long sofas for use as a sitting room during warm weather. At such times the lower part of the great window at the west end was opened wide in order to increase the movement of air.

THE LEE BEDROOM. This pleasant room was occupied by Mrs. Lee before and after her marriage. According to tradition, six of her seven children were born in the small dressing room on its west side. Mrs. Lee’s toilet and serving case, resembling a miniature lectern and bearing her initials “M. C. L.,” sits on the bureau next to the door of the dressing room. On the mantel is an engraving of Mrs. Lee made at Arlington in 1858. This is believed to be the room in which Colonel Lee arrived at his decision to resign his commission in the United States Army.

THE BOYS’ BEDROOM. This bedroom was occupied by the three Lee sons—Custis, Robert, and William Henry Fitzhugh, otherwise known as “Rooney.” The floor, mantel, woodwork, and plaster cornice in this room are original. The mahogany washstand was at Arlington prior to 1861.

Next to the boys’ room is a small chamber originally divided by a partition into dressing rooms for the adjoining bedrooms. In 1857, Mrs. Lee had the partition removed and a doorway made into the hall in order to provide more space for guests. Since the room was too small for a bed, a cot was set up whenever additional sleeping quarters were needed. The washstand and the Duncan Phyfe side chair are original Arlington pieces.

ROOM OF MARY LEE AND “MARKIE.” Mary Lee, eldest of the Lee daughters, occupied this room from her earliest days. Occasionally, she shared it with one of her sisters, but more often with Martha Williams, known affectionately as “Markie,” a cousin of both Colonel and Mrs. Lee. Markie’s mother died in 1843, and her father was killed 3 years later during the war with Mexico. Although Markie lived with her grandparents in Georgetown, she was at Arlington so much of the time as to be almost a member of the household, leading another guest to observe, in 1856, that “Markie’s room commands a beautiful view of the river & of Washington.” Markie and her father were both talented artists and several of their paintings embellished the house.

THE LEE GIRLS’ BEDROOM. This large, sunny bedroom was occupied by Agnes, Annie, and Mildred Lee. Although it is not one of the original Arlington furnishings, the miniature mahogany bureau on the table against the west wall is noteworthy as having been owned by Anne Hill Carter Lee, mother of Robert E. Lee.

THE PLAYROOM. The small room next to the girls’ bedroom served various purposes. When the girls were young it was their playroom. Later it was probably a dressing room, as indicated by the original shelves and coat pegs. It was also used by Annie Lee for the Sunday school she conducted for the children of the family servants. According to tradition, the miniature secretary at the back of the room was a childhood possession of Mr. Custis’ sister, Nellie, who gave it to Mrs. Lee when she was little. Later it was given by Lee to his goddaughter, Nannie Randolph Heth.

THE OUTER HALL. Visitors return to the first floor by the steep service stairway, intended primarily for the convenience of members of the family and servants. Like the second floor hall, the stairwell is painted as it was originally—a light peach. Beyond is the outer hall, originally the serving pantry for the nearby dining room. Here in its old location stands the walnut cupboard to which each night at bedtime Colonel Lee is said to have come for a glass of milk, brought there from the dairy room under the south wing.

THE CUSTIS ROOMS. An inner hall gave private access to the two small rooms in the north wing occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Custis in the years before the main part of the house was completed. Later they were probably used for guest rooms until such time as the size of the Lee family and the Custises’ advancing years made it advisable for them to reoccupy their old suite. In the larger room is the bed Custis bought about 1805; in the smaller room, under the window, is a small mahogany candle stand once owned by Martha Washington and later part of the Arlington furnishings.

The wooden mantelpiece in the sitting room is the oldest one in the house, and its disproportionate size indicates that it was made for the large unused chimney breast in the inner hall.

THE SCHOOLROOM. This may have been Mrs. Lee’s bedroom when she was a little girl and her parents occupied the adjoining rooms. After the main part of the house was built, it was used as a sewing room and a schoolroom for the Lee children and those of the house servants. The old terrestrial globe is one of the most interesting original objects in the mansion, having been found tucked away in the attic under the eaves by workmen repairing the roof some years ago. The small pine table on which it stands is also an original piece. Over the globe is a framed photograph of Comdr. Sidney Smith Lee, brother of Robert E. Lee. The walls and woodwork, like those of most of the rooms, have been restored to their original color.

THE WINTER KITCHEN. The huge fireplace in the winter kitchen under the north wing helped to warm the rooms above during the cold months of the year. The portion of the room beyond the chimney was used as a laundry.

THE WINE CELLAR. A quarterly return from one of Mr. Custis’ estates, dated 1822, lists “2 hogsheads of cider, 2 barrels of A[pple] Brandy” as having been sent to Arlington. It was probably stored in this cool, dark room, together with the scuppernong wine made from grapes grown along the edge of the garden north of the mansion. Here also were kept the choicer vintages used for entertaining.

THE SERVANTS’ QUARTERS. Two low buildings which harmonize architecturally with the main house form two sides of the court in the rear of the mansion. That on the north had a summer kitchen in the basement, its other rooms being occupied by the family servants. Perhaps because dampness made it unhealthy, the basement was filled in some years before 1861, but it is now restored to its original condition. The well between this building and the house is original, though the stone coping and roof are a restoration.

The corresponding building to the south was familiarly known as “Selina’s House,” because its western end was occupied by Mrs. Lee’s personal maid, Selina Gray, and her family. The middle room was the smokehouse, and on the east end was the storeroom where nonperishable household provisions were kept. The small panels over the doors were originally painted by Mr. Custis, the one in the center depicting General Washington’s war horse and the others, American eagles. Old photographs show similar panels decorating the north quarters, but these have long since weathered away.

THE GARDENS. The flower garden originally occupied the large level plot south of the mansion. Gravel paths divided the area into flower beds, and in the center stood a wooden arbor almost covered with yellow jasmine and honeysuckle. Mr. Custis had laid out the garden in his early years, but the responsibility for its care was soon assumed by Mrs. Custis, who loved flowers. Mrs. Lee acquired her mother’s interest in gardening and had her own flower beds, while each of her daughters, as soon as they were old enough, were given small plots in which to grow their favorite blooms. Roses of different species predominated, the Cherokee being a favorite of Mrs. Custis’, but there were also many other kinds of flowers and plants. It was the family custom to exchange seeds and plants with friends and relatives, thus adding to the variety of lovely blooms at Arlington.

North of the mansion, on the site of the present rose garden, was the “kitchen garden” where the vegetables used by the household were grown. Here were strawberry and asparagus beds, tomato vines and many other vegetables, as well as a number of fruit trees. The gardens were very important to the Lees, and in June of 1860 Robert E. Lee wrote to his daughter Annie, saying, “I was very glad to receive, my Sweet Annie, your letter ... to hear that the garden, trees, and hill at Arlington looked beautiful....” The building at the north end is not an original structure, though it stands on the site of an earlier outbuilding.

THE GRAVE OF MARY RANDOLPH. The grave of Mary Randolph, believed to have been Mrs. Lee’s godmother, is a short distance from the northeast corner of the mansion, down the Custis walk which here approximates the course of the old carriage driveway. Mrs. Randolph was related to both the Custises and the Lees and was well known in the early part of the nineteenth century as the author of an extremely popular cookbook, _The Virginia Housewife_. She and her husband, David Meade Randolph, were often at Arlington, the latter being the inventor of a special waterproof stucco used on part of the exterior of the mansion. Mrs. Randolph died in 1828 and was the first person buried at Arlington. The ivy growing on the brick enclosure about her tomb is said to have been planted by Mr. and Mrs. Custis.

THE CUSTIS GRAVES. A few hundred yards southwest of the mansion, Doubleday Walk passes a small plot enclosed by an iron fence. Here beneath the beautiful trees in the spot selected by Mrs. Lee are the graves of her mother and father. Colonel Lee ordered the marble monuments from New York, specifying that a wreath of lilies of the valley and heartsease should be carved on the one for Mrs. Custis’ grave. He also supervised their erection.

_Visitor Service and Facilities_

The mansion is located in Arlington National Cemetery and is reached by way of Arlington Memorial Bridge. Bus service is available via Arlington Memorial Bridge to the main gate of the cemetery. Automobiles use the same approach and may be parked near the mansion. Visiting hours, October through March, are from 9:30 a. m. to 4:30 p. m.; April through September, 9:30 a. m. to 6 p. m. There is a small admission charge, which is waived for children and educational groups.

_Administration_

Custis-Lee Mansion National Memorial is administered by the National Capital Parks of the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. Other national memorials administered by the National Capital Parks are: The Lincoln Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Museum, and the House Where Lincoln Died. Communications should be addressed to the Superintendent, National Capital Parks, Interior Building, Washington 25, D. C.

_Suggested Readings_

Alexander, E. P. _Military Memoirs of a Confederate._ Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, N. Y. 1907.

Custis, George Washington Parke. _The Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington._ Derby and Jackson, New York, N. Y. 1860.

Craven, Avery (Ed.). _To Markie: The Letters of Robert E. Lee to Martha Custis._ Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1934.

Fishwick, Marshall. _General Lee’s Photographer._ University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, N. C. 1954.

Freeman, Douglas Southall. _R. E. Lee: A Biography._ 4 Vols. Scribner’s Sons, New York, N. Y.

Jones, J. W. _Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Robert E. Lee._ D. Appleton & Co., New York, N. Y. 1875.

Lee, Capt. Robert E. _Recollections and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee._ Garden City Publishing Co., New York, N. Y. 1924.

Lowther, Minnie Kendall. _Mount Vernon—Its Children, Its Romances, Its Allied Families and Mansions._ John C. Winston Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 1932.

MacDonald, Rose Mortimer. _Mrs. Robert E. Lee._ Ginn & Co., New York, N. Y.

Tobert, Allice Coyle. _Eleanor Calvert and Her Circle._ William-Frederick Press, New York, N. Y. 1950.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES

(Price lists of National Park Service publications may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D.C.)

Antietam Bandelier Chalmette Chickamauga and Chattanooga Battlefields Custer Battlefield Custis-Lee Mansion, the Robert E. Lee Memorial Fort Laramie Fort McHenry Fort Necessity Fort Pulaski Fort Raleigh Fort Sumter George Washington Birthplace Gettysburg Guilford Courthouse Hopewell Village Independence Jamestown, Virginia Kings Mountain The Lincoln Museum and the House Where Lincoln Died Manassas (Bull Run) Montezuma Castle Morristown, a Military Capital of the Revolution Ocmulgee Petersburg Battlefields Saratoga Scotts Bluff Shiloh Statue of Liberty Vanderbilt Mansion Vicksburg Yorktown

Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.

End of Project Gutenberg's Custis-Lee Mansion, by Murray H. Nelligan