The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-06

With Arlington brought before us more
or less prominently these latter days oI
war and lts sad aftermath, TIE mlilH
turns oeca-.ousIly 90 the re'nemoraHce
trar In tac government gain - Airing
con Iy e8aGsea'iou af,er the War o.. the
Rebellion the family ~ Gen. Robert =
Lee lost their home and patrimoHE- IN
herltauee. A. a matter of fact Arlington
never actually belonged 90 The 'oaisiaf-
ate General. it was bis wlte.s estate -oT
az .oue as she lived, but 30 MAS 10 latF
eldest son. George Washing ON 'usu7
Lee. known now generally al Con Cl-,ls
Lee. chat Arlington was wll-a ~ MS
grandfather, George Washington f@Tke
Curtis. and 10 him u was that 'ae gov
eminent subsequently, made h1dncldI
restitution.
Had 81 not been FOR the fortunes ~
war. therefore. Gen. Custis Ice would
now. iu an probability. be- mJHing MS
residence al Arlington iEsteai OI al
Ravcusworth, which is his pres ,nt home
Raven worth is. however. a most Inter
estlng place and for many Yeas has ben
connected with the Lee samily- Oeauu-
ful place 10 is. too. though much less In
posing and pretenii0Us than Arlington. j.
is hu, fifteen miles from Washing o1. IN
Fairfax County. Va, lying in a south" est
direction, and on what is knOwI as the
BraddJok road. and alleged 10 hc one ot
those made by the proud Br.tisA Genera!
IN pursuing his fdteful Western jJUIney.
This Was the home 0f Gen W h =
Lee. the second son OF the Confederate
frvn.a HErHrF -sTH ~ d
from the Eighth District Of Virginia, and
ne came 10 IL by inheritance about ten
years after the war. making j: hls home
until the time Of his death wnIcA oc-
CURED eight years ego. II Is now the
home OF his widow and Of her two S0ls.
Robert +. Lee aud Boiling Lee, AMI. as
before stated. OF Gen. CuStis Lee. while
the Two daughters Of Gen. RoDe~t J.. lee
make il their abiding place during the
summer. when at home from the exttn-
siye foreign travelling they pursue.
Kayensworth Is an old place and came
10 the Lees by inheritance from the kitZ-
hughs. whose family estate 1t became ear
ly IN the eighteenth century. Its first own
,r WAS William Fitzhugh, known as the
Baron Of Ravensworth. and his son was
William Henry Fitzhugh, noted phildn-
thropist OF his time, and for whom Gen.
". II. J.. Lee was named. The latter fam
flv connection. which links the names and
fortunes OF FitZhUghs and Lees ttheTe
wa. however. as the names indicate, an
eaTIi-r) Is interesting. Mary Lee Fliz-
hugh became the wife OF George WASH
ington Parke Gusts, the grandson Of Mar
tha Washington. and adopted son OF Cen
Washington. and Gen. X. E. Lee married
Mary Randolph Custs. the only daughter
Of this union. 1t was through this mar
riagc that the estate OF Arlington, the
family home Of the Custises, became the
residence OF Cen. Lee and also that Ra-
vensworth was inherited by his son,
Raycnsworth is one of the few places In
Virginia that have been preserved in all
The dignity OF their ante-bellum regime.
This favorable condition Of affairs 3 at
once evidenced on ones arrival within the
gates Of the estate. IL is apparent IN the
weIl-kept grounds, which cover IN all
about twenty-five acres, in the stately
peafowl that noisily greet one, but lend an
unusual elegance to the laws OF a couh-
try manor I'm the trim, boX-edged, fanci-
fully shaped flower beds, Immediately
hardened i'm real old English style, and
again in the splendid stretches of three
shaded lawns that sweep away from both
ing two fronts another Virginia fancy in
home building The southern front, which
is that away from the public road. is the
family side. Here in the alluring warmth
OF the new summer stand upon the lawn
the tropical shrubs and flowers that have
been fostered during the cold season in
the conservatory at the sunny end of the
house. and here are the wide pillaTed YER
andas that extend the entire length OF
upper and lower stories. We feel our
selves in old Virginia as we stroll through
picturesque alleys Of trees and shrubbery
left, happily, in a great measure 10 ma
lures own luxurious manner Of beautify'
ing, 10 the family graveyard. The latter
the last resting place of the early owners
Of the estate ana their families. Is inclos
ed by a thick stone wall entirely covered
with Virginia creeper But four OF th'
graves are marked by stones, and thes'
commemorate respectively William FitZ
hugh. born September I, l14l; died Decem
Der 49, 1903, and William Henry E1tZhugh
born March 9. l7g0; died May q. 1880, an'
their wives, Anne Fitzhugh and Ann;
Maria FitZhuEh.
Typical Virginia Mansion.
The house. a large, square structure o
frame, contains the typical Virginia az
raugement Of a srvat hallway runhlh
across its entire width, with the large, his
Cellineed and altogether handsome livin
rooms on the first floor. Hanging In TIN
han are life-siZe paintings Of NillaI
Fitzhugh and his wife, the ancestral head
of the house. The equipment of the hal
indeed the entire furnishing Of this pei
haps as tremendously sustained represer
tative Virginia mansion as any now exist
ing, is iu perfect harmony with the styl'
age and architecture Of the house. Every
thing in the woodwork in the hall Is g
mahoeany-the eight-day clock in the CO.
urr. the clawleet table the large settee
and all, including the quaint old bras
banging lamp, are of colonial design.
The drawing-ropm or the right Is lars
room. occupying the entire width OF u
house, and il lighted by two large VIII
dOWs AT either end. IL Is pretlily ful
ui7hcd IN an attractiyely light scheme
white. yellow, and blue II contains II
Vulnerable memeutos Of the travels I
the Misses Lee and other artistic bric-l
brac and some more than ordinarily IL
terestiug pictures. one is an eNce!leI
laudscaVe in oil Of Hudsd
by Weir. Another is fine engraving
the dashing "Iight-horse Harry lie
eruor Of Virginia and father Of Ge
Robert F. Lee. another Is an eNcellel
likeness II Gen. ". II. F. Lee, done
water color. and on either side OF the doc
way are small landscapes showing g.
c!led merit. but especially interesting !
being the work OF Mrs. r. =. Lee.
The d.uins-room. across the hail, is
FAR the most interesting room In n
house being the repository Of all thai
Of the greatest historic value In IL. I
walls are the family portrait gallery at
It's sldebOard and china closet contain
particularly fine collection OF family s.
ser and china. The room is well pr
portiOuel. being about twenty-seyen te
square and with Corresp0ndiEgly his
ceilings. II has four large windows. "
az either side, and &, Is wainscOted
the height OF three feet IN dark polish
walnut. which wood also composes {
floor and all the substantial woo4wo
of the room The square mahogany tat
has The brass feet OF the colonial per!o
and the heavy, square, leather-cover
chairs accord with IL while the sldabOa