Fort Myer in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Growing Season
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
— George Washington Memorial Parkway, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
The kitchen garden put food on the table at Arlington House. As blackberries and tomatoes ripened in the summer heat, squash and artichokes branched out leafy and green. Here enslaved gardeners turned the soil, digging for turnips, carrots, and potatoes in fall.
The Custis and Lee family, often joined by distinguished guests, ate produce fresh or canned for winter. To get enough to eat, enslaved workers also tended their own vegetable gardens near their cabins. They also fished and foraged in the forest.
[Caption:]
Enslaved workers walked to farm fields farther away from the house to harvest cash crops such as corn, rye, and oats.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture.
Location. 38° 52.887′ N, 77° 4.366′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Fort Myer. Marker can be reached from Sherman Drive north of Sheridan Drive, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 320 Sherman Dr, Fort Myer VA 22211, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A Garden Sustains (a few steps from this marker); Piecing the Past Together
this page online
Additional keywords. enslaved labor
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 21, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 86 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 21, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
