History & Culture

Soldiers at Arlington House, 1864 — Union soldiers out front of Arlington House, 1864
Library of Congress

Welcome to Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Originally constructed between 1802 and 1818, the house was built to be both the residence of George Washington Parke Custis and as the nation's first memorial to his adoptive grandfather, George Washington. The house became the repository of hundreds of relics and artifacts that once belonged to George and Martha Washington at Mount Vernon. Custis' daughter Mary Anna Randolph Custis would marry First Lieutenant Robert E. Lee in the house in 1831. The house became the property of Mary and Robert Lee and their children in 1857. During the American Civil War, the house and grounds were seized by the United States Army who proceeded to turn the plantation into a military cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery. The house would later serve as the office of the superintendent of the Cemetery. Since 1933, the National Park Service has served as the steward of this important resource to ensure its preservation for future generations. The property is connected to many important figures, issues and events in United States history.

Over the 60 years leading up to the Civil War, Arlington House was also home to nearly 100 enslaved African Americans who lived and labored on the estate. The National Park Service interprets not only the history of Robert E. Lee and his family, but also the stories of the enslaved people, including the Syphax, Burke, Parks, and Gray families, to present a more complete story of life at Arlington House.