| What is it? |
The Arlington House is also called the Robert E. Lee Memorial, because the famed Confederate General called this place his home before the Civil War! |
| What makes it beautiful? |
I don’t take pictures in cemeteries, so I had to look on from afar. From what I could see, it is a striking building on a hill with gorgeous Doric columns, built not of marble but of hydraulic cement finished to look like marble! It is surrounded, of course, by the stark white headstones of Arlington National Cemetery, one of the most beautiful cemeteries I’ve ever seen!
Arlington House was built by George Washington Parke Custis, the step-grandson of our first President, largely as a memorial to his ancestor and a place to house his relics! When the Lee family lived here, it was a place dedicated to children; in fact, Robert E. Lee only missed ten Christmases in the thirty years he and his family inhabited Arlington House, a truly remarkable record for a soldier! The family had to leave when Lee chose his state over his country and left his house in a sticky situation, perched right over the Union capital! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? |
HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? |
Park at the Arlington Cemetery visitor center, just west of the intersection of Jefferson Davis Highway and Memorial Avenue; you can also get off at the Arlington Cemetery stop on the Metro Blue Line! From there, you will see Arlington House, so just walk about ten minutes, and you’ll be there! The official address is:
321 Sherman Dr
Fort Myer, VA 22211
From Appomattox: ~194mi (313km) — 3.3hrs
From Arlington: ~3mi (5km) — 0.1hrs
From Norfolk: ~192mi (309km) — 3.2hrs
From Richmond: ~106mi (171km) — 1.8hrs |
| When should I go? |
The Arlington House is open daily from 9:00 AM until 4:30 PM! (It’s open until 5:00 during summer months!) |
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