ARLINGTON HOUSE Historic Structures Report Voume 1

A fully documented historical study of the 1802-1933 use of Arlington House will be found in Murray H. Nelligan's "Old Arlington, The Story of the Lee Mansion National Memorial," completed January 1, 1953. The brief outline of use which follows is based on the Nelligan report and is merely intended to refresh the reader's memory as to the use of the Arlington House during the years 1802 to 1933.

A. UTILIZATION, 1802 TO MAY 15, 1861

1. During the years 1802 to May 15, 1861, the 1,100 acre Arlington Estate was a functioning farm of which only 1/3 was cultivated and 2/3 remained a park setting. It was worked by many slave families.

Arlington House, from 1802 to October 10, 1857, was the residence of George Washington Parke Custis. The house contained Custis' business office and the building was also used to exhibit much of the Washington memorabilia that Custis had collected.

2. Arlington House was the residence of Mary Custis and her husband, Robert E. Lee, periodically from 1831 to 1861.

Lee left Arlington House for the last time, in order to command Virginia troops on April 22, 1861, and his wife made her final departure from the mansion about May 15, 1861.

B. UTILIZATION, MAY 24, 1861, TO JUNE 15, 1864

The Union Army occupied the 1,100 acre Arlington Estate in force on May 24, 1861. Major General C. W. Sandford established his headquarters in a tent adjacent to Arlington House on May 24. By the end of May 1861, Brigadier General Irvin McDowell made his headquarters in three tents near the house, and the white parlor [room 112] was used as offices for his army. McDowell moved into Arlington House in December 1861 and resided there until the spring of 1862. The structure ceased to be used as a military headquarters after December 1862, but a number of generals, including S. P. Heintzelman, made their quarters in the house. In 1864 Brigadier General De Russey resided there.

C. UTILIZATION, JUNE 15, 1864, TO AUGUST 9, 1933

On June 15, 1864, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton formally established a 200-acre national military cemetery, which included Arlington House, the north and south servants quarters, the stable and sheds, and other structures on the Arlington Estate.

From ca. 1864 to January 16, 1932, Arlington House served as the office of the cemetery and also, from ca. 1864 to 1929 as the residence of the superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery. The second floor of the main or center house was used from 1885 to 1929 as the quarters of the landscape gardener, David H. Rhodes.

The superintendent's quarters were located on the first floor in the area north of the center hall (room 111) in the north wing, which included rooms from the pantry to the north stair hall. The center hall (room 111) and rooms 112 and 117, the area south of the main hall and on the first floor of the south wing, were open to the public from 1865 to 1929. The superintendent's office was located in room 117 of the south wing during these years. Room 116 in the south wing was used as a conservatory for plants. After 1910 room 114 was used as a toilet room. Room BO-2 in the basement under the north wing was used as a laundry room. After 1906 room BO-3 was used as a coal room and room BO-5 was used as a boiler after 1906. Greenhouse supplies were stored in other parts of the cellar.

The superintendents of Arlington National Cemetery who resided in Arlington House from 1864 to 1933 were:

(1) Captain James M. Moore, May 13, 1864 - June 14, 1864

(2) William Murphy, June 15, 1864 - June 30, 1864

(3) F. B. Medlar, July 1, 1864 - October 31, 1866

(4) E. U. McClean, November, 1866 - May 31, 1867

(5) Thompson R. East, ca. June 1867 - September 1869.

(6) Charles Fitchett, November 18, 1869 - December 5, 1870.

(7) Edwin H. Harner, December 5, 1870 - December 1871.

(8) Frederick Kauffman, January 1872 - February 1884.

(9) Edwin M. Main, April 1884 - September 1886.

(10) John A. Commerford, November 1886 - November 1892.

(11) A. B. Drum, December 1892 - December 1906.

(12) H. C. Magoon, December 1906 - ca. 1918.

(13) Robert R. Dye, ca. 1918 - October 31, 1931

(14) Lamont A. Williams [Assistant Superintendent, November, 1931 - February 1942. There was no superintendent listed in the records for these years.

Between 1928 and 1931 Congress appropriated and the Quartermaster Corps spent a total of some $110,000 to restore and furnish Arlington House as an historic house museum. Restoration began in August 1928 and was completed in March 1930. Arlington House was opened not fully furnished to the public as a historic house museum on March 22, 1930, and transferred from the Department of the Army to the National Park Service by Executive Order 6166 signed June 10, 1933.

D. ARLINGTON HOUSE, AUGUST 10, 1933 TO DATE

Under Executive Order No. 6166, dated June 10, 1933, as interpreted by Executive Order No. 6228 dated July 28, 1933, the Custis-Lee Mansion and about three acres of land were transferred from the War Department to the U.S. Department of the Interior on August 10, 1933. The National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior has administered the site and exhibited Arlington House as a historic house and memorial to Robert E. Lee from August 10, 1933 to date.