| |
Arlington House,
The Robert E. Lee Memorial
Open Daily
(Except Christmas Day): 9:30 AM until 4:30 PM |
" Arlington...
where my affection and attachments are more strongly placed
than at any other place in the world."
Robert E. Lee
 When
you're trying to decide exactly where you can get the very
best view of Washington, DC, usually the Washington Monument
pops into everyone's head. But what if you were told Arlington
House, the plantation house sitting high on the hill in Arlington
National Cemetery? The glorious view from the front of the
Robert E. Lee Memorial caused President Kennedy, in one of
his visits, to exclaim, "I could stay here forever!"
And the Kennedy family who had chosen two other burial sights
in Arlington Cemetery, when told of his remark, immediately,
designated President Kennedy's final resting place to be the
base of the hill which Arlington House sits upon. When you're
admiring the spectacular vistas, you'll notice a grand raised
sarcophagus with a map of Washington engraved into the marble.
This is the burial sight of the city designer, Pierre L'Enfant,
who over 200 years ago was selected by George Washington to
create this extraordinary city you see today.
After you have finished admiring the
panorama, tour the National Memorial in honor of Robert E.
Lee. Arlington House was originally built by George Washington's
grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, as a memorial/museum
in honor of the Father of Our Country. George Washington Parke
Custis had one surviving daughter, Mary Anna, who married
her childhood sweetheart, 2nd Lieutenant, Robert E. Lee. For
30 years until the American Civil War, Arlington House, and
all the land that is today Arlington National Cemetery, would
be the Lees' home. In 1955 the US Congress designated Arlington
House a permanent memorial to the Civil War General, Robert
E. Lee, and the home has been restored , as closely as possible,
to its original splendor the Lees knew before their final
departure in 1861. Today, National Park Service Rangers are
available to answer any of your questions as you walk through
the home or the museum.
|
|
