The Coolidge examiner., 1935-11-01
STAFFORD
Home of the LEES
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON


the news nation az European courts
during the early part ~ the nEht for liberty. II
vas the home 81 dashiug cavalry leader % the
Revolution. and hts son. born ia Sirauofd. be
came commander ln-chief Of an army In the
greatest civil war the world has ever known aud
one % The outstanding military geniuses pro
duced this continent II has been the home
% one governor 10 Virginia. four members Of
the council OF state and u members of The house
OF burEcssrs.
n has BEEN said that an old house is a history
In lSseif-lts rooms are chapters. It's furnishings
the illustrations and its inhabitants the eharac-
ters Certainly few houses in America come
nearer being a history ln itself than does this
-uo year-old brick castle that stands GA a high
bluT overlooking the historic Potomac There's
rotaance. too. 10 the story hack of its prrserya.
uon patriotic shrine.
That story beElus-uot ia Virginia as one
might suspect buf in Conoecticut-seven years
ago. Early In 1875 Mrs Charles u. Lanler Of
Greenwich head 81 the William Alexander Jr.
chapter of the United Daughters of the Confcd-
eracy. while rummaEing through desk which
bclonEcd 10 her mother.iniaW. Mrs. sidney
IanieF widow q the poet. came upon a renclled
manuscript By Lanicr. until then not known 70
exist
The paper proved 90 be q speech be- had made
in Macon. Ca. in 1870. ON the death OF General
Is-c In which BE- urscd the establishment Of
memorial by contributions as shall BE- within
The compass Of the humblest citizen who loved
him and who desires the grateful privilege Of
laying some tribute on his tomb"
co the following day Mrs TAner received
letter from friend describing a visit 10 STRAIT.
ford and asking why IL could no; be preserved.
an the same morning she called meeting Of
her organization. which resulted In the adoption
% resolutions booking TO the acquisition Of the
homestead
After months ~ negotiations arrangements
were made with Charles y stuart. the owner.
for lis purchase and the Robert T. lee Memorial
Foundation was formed 60 acquire the property
and conduct a campaign Tor contributions in ali
paris - the country. The price nxed at
S%f00o. The mortgage was cleared away by an
unconditional advance % $4,000 by promi-
nsnt Delaware woman whose name was not re
vealed Early this year Il was announced that
balance ~ $500 was still due on the purchase
price and that effort would be made Ca raise
that amount The campaign was successful and
when the dedication took place on October u
S,ratford debt free Altogether more than
S3anoo has been contributed by Americans from
every state In the Union and by citizens Of Eng.
land Belgium and other foreign lands for the
purchase. restoration and perpetual care ofthe
home OF the Lees.
Col Richard Lee who was sent 20 the colony
Of Virginia late In tie Seventeenth century as
secretary and as representative OF the kings
prtvy council. From time 10 time The Emil.
grant he was aTectionaiey termed In the
annals Of the family. received large and numer.
Gus land grants from the king and part OF this
land was inherited by his grandson. Thomas Lee.
Thomas Lees FIRST home was NJ Mount Pleas
ant but when II was burned In 172a by convict
servants whom Lee had punished for some Of
fenSe. he decided on a new home rather than at.
tempt TO rebuild the old one Queen Caroline
wife OF King George II. helped with a gift OF
Sn0 pounds Tor SIS construction and he selected
a site on the banks OF the Potomac In the gen
eral district of Wakefield and other noted Colo
nial homes occupied by families whose traditions
included scholastic interests and cultural attain
mentS This section OF Virginia was often re
ferred TO as the Athens OF Virginia"
The architecture OF Stratford was character
lied by solid walls and massive hewn timbers. II
was erected in strength and solIdity. Large open
frepiaces throughout the house heated the large
rooms indiTerently during severe winters The
house was built In the shape OF an H. the con
Meeting link between the two wings being large
ball room 30 feet long The wings were each
about 80 feet wide and co deep There were Is
large MONS besides the hail. in which family
life centencd The hall was used az a library
and general sitting room. The walls. paneled In
oak. were set with built-in book cases. which
contained one OF the finest early libraries In this
country. In the kitchen was a fireplace II feet
wide. high and deep, capable OF roasting an.
OK % fair size.
Col Thomas lee. the builder OF Stratford was
prominent in the history OF colonial Virginia.
lie served as one OF the commission TO treat
with the lroquois Indians for the settlement OF
lands west OF the Aleghenes lie became presi-
dent and commander-inchlef OF the colony OF
Virginia and was appointed governor but died In
l1Jo before the commission reached him.
Thomas Lees greatest fame however. rests
upon the fact that be gave to his country six
distinguished sons and daughter who. marry
ins one OF the Shippens Of Philadelphia bore a
distinguished family OF her own The outstand.
.ng sons Of Thomas Lee were the two
oldest. Richard Henry Lee and Francis
lightfcot Lee. both signers OF the Dec
laration of Independence Richard Henry
Lee. called the Cicero OF the Continental Con
greSs. the ~smooth-tongued chief. from whose
persuasive lips. sweeter than honey. flowed the
stream OF speech" the man who dared TO pro
pose that these colonies are and By right ought
TO be free and independent states" was born.at
Stratford in 1882 lie received his education at
The Academy OF Wakefield In Yorkshire England
then returning 10 ginia he took u2 the study