School & Sewing Room

his corner room served as the School and Sewing room. As a young girl Mary Anna Randolph Custis received her education here from tutors who came to Arlington. Later her children recited lessons in this room. Slave children also received basic instruction in reading and writing here from Mrs. Custis, and, later, Mrs. Lee. This practice continued even after Virginia passed a law in the 1840s making any kind of education of slaves illegal. Under the direction of Mrs. Custis, house slaves also used this room for sewing, making clothes for the other Arlington slaves

	View of School & Sewing Room from Outer Hall Pantry.

Today, visitors can see examples of nineteenth century instructional tools and texts in the School and Sewing Room. This globe on the table is an original piece and holds the distinction of being the only artifact never to have left the site. Whereas all the other original pieces now in the house were removed at one point or another and later returned, the globe has remained in the house since the time of the Lees' occupancy and was stored for many years in the attic.

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