Stratford Hall - Westmoreland County VA
N 38° 09.115 W 076° 50.382
18S E 338806 N 4224269
A Georgian mansion in the Northern Neck of VA preserves the legacy of the Lee family which included two Declaration of Independence signers, a Revolutionary War hero, and a Confederate Civil War general.
Waymark Code: WMGAYY
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 02/07/2013
Views: 7
Stratford Hall, located in Westmoreland County, Virginia, was built in the 1730s by Thomas Lee on a plantation that fronts the Potomac River. It is an example of early Georgian architecture. It has an H floor plan and the unique feature of twin sets of four chimney stacks on the wings.
Thomas and his wife, Hannah, raised 6 sons and 2 daughters at Stratford. Richard Henry and Francis Lightfoot signed the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Ludwell was one of the first judges elected to Virginia’s supreme court.
The eldest son, Philip Ludwell, inherited Stratford Hall and his daughter, Matilda, continued to live there after his death. Matilda married her cousin 'Light Horse Harry' Lee, a Revolutionary War hero. When Matilda died, Light Horse Harry married Ann Hill Carter while he was governor of VA and after his term ended, they moved back to Stratford Hall where they had 8 sons and 3 daughters. Robert Edward became commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia and Sidney Smith was an officer in the Confederate Navy during the Civil War.
In 1929, the Robert E. Lee Memorial Association acquired Stratford Hall to preserve its legacy of the Lee family. It was nominated to the NRHP in 1966.
The Great House and surrounding plantation of Stratford Hall is open daily to the public. Go here
for more information on hours of operation and admission. Unfortunately cameras are not allowed inside the house.
References: