Stratford, estate, United States

Stratford, home of the Lee family, overlooking the Potomac River, E Va., SE of Fredericksburg. A national shrine dedicated in 1935, the site was purchased in 1716 by Thomas Lee, who built the mansion Stratford Hall in 1729–30. It was the birthplace of Richard Henry Lee and Francis L. Lee, the home of Henry Lee, and the birthplace of his son Robert E. Lee. At the site the activities of an antebellum plantation are carried on—spinning, weaving, curing hams, and grinding meal.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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