Social calls were popular in the 19th century among the middle and upper classes. The family’s social prominence insured a steady stream of guests, some of whom were famous. One of the most celebrated was the Marquis de Lafayette, hero of the American Revolution. His 1824 visit to Arlington was a state occasion. Sam Houston, enamored of Mary Custis, visited the home as a potential suitor. Several well-known writers called upon the family, including Lydia Sigourney, the most popular female writer of the day, Washington Irving, and Jared Sparks. President Franklin Pierce and his wife, Jane, made a visit during his administration. Many of the leading officers of the army found their way to Arlington.
Art and Music
Food and Hospitality
Outdoor Activities
Festivals at Arlington
Art and Music
The Custises and Lees were particularly fond of art and music. Mr. Custis was an accomplished violinist. He also composed original scores for several of his plays. He had received music lessons as a young boy at Mount Vernon and enjoyed performing to the end of his life. Among the ladies of the family were several accomplished pianists. Each of the four Lee girls studied music. They often played the piano at Arlington along with their cousin, Markie Williams. The girls taught a variety of hymns to the slave children during Sunday school. The family also owned an organ and a harpsichord.
Mr. Custis was the most prolific artist of the family. He enjoyed painting scenes of the important battles of the Revolutionary War, one of which was displayed in the US Capitol. Custis took pride in his status as a “self-taught” artist and loved to quiz visitors about their opinions of his paintings.
Mrs. Lee, who formally studied art, was an accomplished artist in her own right. She painted a number of seascapes and several whimsical watercolors. Robert E. Lee was a talented sketch artist. During the Mexican War, he passed the lonely hours by drawing sketches to send to his family. Markie Williams so enjoyed painting that she once declared her intention never to marry so as to devote herself to her art.
The key to good hospitality was food. Mary Lee’s cousin and godmother, Mary Randolph, wrote what is widely regarded as America’s first cookbook. Titled “The Virginia Housewife Or, Methodical Cook,” the book features a range of recipes from around the world as well as useful tips for managing a household. The cookbook reflects a distinct southern style of cooking with recipes influenced by African culture.
Slaves working in plantation kitchens prepared meals that included okra and eggplant and a variety of other ingredients previously not widely used in the United States.
Many of these recipes appear in Mary Lee’s own cooking notebooks and were likely offered to visitors at Arlington House.
Outdoor Activities
Physical pursuits and outdoor recreation were popular at Arlington. The ladies spent many hours working in Arlington’s renowned flower garden. Each of the Lee girls had a small plot in which to grow her favorite flowers. The men enjoyed hunting in the 600-acre forest on the property. Riding was popular with nearly everyone; the family owned several mounts, including a pony named Santa Anna. The Lee children swam in the Potomac River in the summer. In the winter months, they enjoyed ice skating on the Alexandria Canal. The large, virgin woodlands behind the mansion proved a delightful venue for games of hide and seek.
Festivals at Arlington
Custis sponsored a number of festivals at Arlington that were open to the general public. In 1805, he hosted his first sheep-shearing contest to encourage the development of a native wool industry. The festival, an annual event, often drew more spectators than competitors. The event always culminated in a feast held under General Washington’s war tent. Other guests attended festivities at Arlington Spring, a picnic pavilion developed by Custis. Sometimes several hundred people visited the spring in a single afternoon. A German music festival and jousting tournament were among the most popular events held at Arlington Spring.