Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-02-08
StratfOrd Hall To Be National
Shrine.

Rappahannock. Va, Times.
Stratford Hall. birthplace of Robert E..
Lee and two signers of the Declaration Of
representatives Of the United Daughters
Of the Confederacy recently. and after be-
ing restored will become national shrine.
Papers conveying the property, which
is situated In WestmOreland county, to
Mary Field Lanier and Ethel Armes, repre-
sentine the William Alexander, Jr.. Chap
ter. United Daughters Of the Confederacy,
of Greenwich. Conn.,. were signed by Chas.
E. Stuart and Clara f. Stuart, his wife on
the anniversary Of the birth Of the noted
Confederate chieftain. Approximately
$250,0OO represents the price paid for
the property. which embraces 1.l22 acres
OF land An additional S133,500 is the
estimated cost Of restoration.
Built 200 years ago this spring, STRAIT
ford Hall is equaled by few American
homesteads in historical significance. The
building was started 1929 with Queen
Caroline. wife Of George II. giving $500
toward the cost, following an incendiary
fire, which destroyed the original manor
house, on the site on which is now located
the Lee family burial plot. II was built Of
brick in great proportions on English lines.
by English standards. and was the state
liest mansion Of its time in Colonial Vir-
ginia. In Stratford Hall. in May of l744.
commission 10 treat with the six nations
met and formulated its plans. sailing from
that place to meet the Indians. who for
$500 granted Virginians the right to settle
west of the Alleghanies In 1850. STRAIT
ford Hall became the executive mansion
OF the colony through the elevation of the
owner. Thomas Lee. TO the position OF
Royal Governor. This Lee Is the first to
be buried in the family plot on the site Of
the burned home. During the Revolution
a party was repulsed on the property, and
the dead invaders were buried where they
fell.
The SIX Lees born to Thomas Lee helped
make American history. Richard Henry
Lee was the eldest. In the Continental
Congress he made the motion that these
Colonies are and Of right ought to be free
and independent States" Francis Light
foot Lee, the other siener. was born few
years later. William Lee. the diplomatist
| Philip Ludwell Lee. Arthur Lee. who. with
BENJAMIN Franklin, negotiated and signed
the treaty of alliance. amity and commerce
with France, and Thomas Lee. who was
one of the first colonists to lead Virginians
into battle against the British, were the
other sons Of the illustrious Thomas Lee,
born at Stratford Hall. A daughter. Alice
Lee, married William Shippen,,J IT,. Of Penn
sylvania, who became chief physician to
the FlyingCampof the Continental Armies.
director general OF the first American hos
pitfalls and the founder Of the medical
department Of the University Of Pennsyl-
vania.
Philip Ludwell Lee inherited Stratford
Hall. He was the father-in-law Of Light
horse Harry Lee. the only Revolutionary
soldier under the rank Of general. to be
voted q gold medal by the Continental
Congress. Dashine Harry Lee married his
cousin, Matilda. after the Revolutionary
War. She died in 1870. leaving two chill
dren He married Anne Carter, and to
them was born the man revered by the
Southland 1t was Lighthouse Harry Lee
who, in his eulogy Of Washington in Con-
Dress, said the words known to every
school child. First in war. first in peace
and first in the hearts OF his countrymenL"
Robert Z. Lee was born in 1907 and re-
manned at Stratford Hall until he was
four years old.
Stratford Hall passed to Henry Lee. son OF
Lighthouse Harry. He was a West Pointer
! and served on the Indian border In 1929,