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Survey of
Historic Sites and Buildings

	STRATFORD HALL Virginia
Location: 3 miles north of Lerty on Va. 214, Westmoreland County. Stratford Hall Plantation

Ownership and Administration (1961). Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation, Inc., Stratford Hall, Va.

Significance. Stratford Hall, probably best known as the birthplace of Robert E. Lee, is of major importance both historically and architecturally. The list of noted men who were born or lived there reads like a miniature "Who's Who" for Virginia: 4 members of the Governor's council, 12 burgesses, 4 members of the Virginia Convention of 1776, 2 signers of the Declaration of Independence, several Governors of Virginia, members of the Continental Congress, diplomats, and military leaders. Of those born at Stratford Hall, in addition to the great Confederate general, the list includes the signers of the Declaration (Richard Henry and Francis Lightfoot Lee) and three other Revolutionary leaders (William, Arthur, and Thomas Ludwell Lee).

Present Appearance (1961). Architecturally, Stratford Hall is a notable example of early Georgian architecture, yet with many features that make it unique. Its H-plan gives it a kinship with the Capitol building at Williamsburg and Tuckahoe in Goochland County, Va. It is a huge bulk with raised basement, unaccompanied by the usual pilasters and other academic forms. One of its chief distinguishing characteristics is the presence of twin sets of four-chimney stacks on the wings, connected by arches and enclosing balustraded roof decks. The monumental great hall is outstanding for its period. Four original service dependencies flank the mansion. The acreage owned by the administering foundation is only a portion of the original 16,000-acre estate on which Col. Thomas Lee built the house in 1725-30. The Stratford Hall estate, maintained as a historic-house museum and operating 18th-century plantation, is in excellent condition. The formal gardens have been restored, as well as walks, shrubbery, and minor dependencies. [77]