Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lee’s Boyhood Home
Photographed By J. J. Prats, June 21, 2008
1. Lee’s Boyhood Home Marker
Erected 1968 by Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission. (Marker Number E-91.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #01 George Washington, the Lafayette’s Farewell Tour, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1824.
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 38° 48.574′ N, 77° 2.716′ W. Marker was in Alexandria, Virginia. It was in Old Town. Marker was on Oronoco Street east of North Washington Street (Virginia Route 400), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 607 Oronoco St, Alexandria VA 22314, United States of America.
We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Potts-Fitzhugh-Lee House (here, next to this marker); Washington-Rochambeau Route (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee-Fendall House (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Lee-Fendall House (within shouting distance of this marker); From Factory to Housing (within shouting distance of this marker); Home of Edmund Jennings Lee (within shouting distance of this marker); Grosvenor Hospital (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); City Jail: A Site of Racial Terror in Alexandria (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alexandria.
Regarding Lee’s Boyhood Home. The house is a private residence and no longer open to tourists.
Also see . . .
1. The Robert E. Lee Boyhood Home Virtual Museum. “The house was built in 1795 by John Potts, Jr., who came down from Pennsylvania to work with George Washington on the Potomac Canal. It was purchased in 1799 by William Fitzhugh a wealthy Fredericksburg, VA tobacco planter and close friend of Washington’s. After Fitzhugh’s death in 1809 it was put up for rental. The Lee’s rented it for most of the period
Photographed By J. J. Prats, June 21, 2008
2. Lee’s Boyhood Home and Marker
2. A Robert E. Lee historical marker vanishes in the dead of night: A whodunnit. 2021 article by Gillian Brockell and Andrew deGranpre in The Washington Post. Excerpt:
On Friday [November 5, 2021], the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which manages 2,500 markers around the state and owns the one in front of 607 Oronoco, said its “retirement” had been planned for months and was unrelated to its presence in front of the on-the-market home.(Submitted on November 5, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.)
The marker, which had been there since 1968, was retired because the text had proved to be historically inaccurate, according to Jennifer Loux, the DHR’s marker program historian and manager. ...
A new sign has been made and delivered to the city of Alexandria, according to Loux. A spokeswoman for the city said the new sign would be installed after a check for buried utility lines.
Additional commentary.
1. Home for sale twice within 2 years.
A real estate listing for Lee's boyhood home shows it is currently for sale for the second time within two years. Asking price is just shy of $6 million. The listing
Photographed By J. J. Prats, June 21, 2008
3. View From the Garden Gate
— Submitted October 31, 2021.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, February 16, 2015
4. Robert E. Lee painting
This 1864-65 painting of Robert E. Lee by Edward Caledon Bruce hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.
“Robert E. lee was born into a family prominent in Virginia society and early American politics. A young man with an intense desire to prove himself, he attained the highest rank available to cadets and graduated from West Point in 1829. Initially, lee opposed both secession and war. But when Virginia voted to secede from the Union, he resigned from the U.s. Army and went to his native state's defense. Placed in command of the Army of Northern Virginia in June 1862, lee gave the Confederacy moments of hope with several early victories. His army was always severely outnumbered, so it was a triumph that he managed to keep it on the field for the duration of the war. By 1864, however, time and resources were working against him, and in May, Ulysses S. Grant became his last and fateful adversary.” — National Portrait Gallery
“Robert E. lee was born into a family prominent in Virginia society and early American politics. A young man with an intense desire to prove himself, he attained the highest rank available to cadets and graduated from West Point in 1829. Initially, lee opposed both secession and war. But when Virginia voted to secede from the Union, he resigned from the U.s. Army and went to his native state's defense. Placed in command of the Army of Northern Virginia in June 1862, lee gave the Confederacy moments of hope with several early victories. His army was always severely outnumbered, so it was a triumph that he managed to keep it on the field for the duration of the war. By 1864, however, time and resources were working against him, and in May, Ulysses S. Grant became his last and fateful adversary.” — National Portrait Gallery
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 8, 2019
5. National Register of Historic Places plaque on the house
Credits. This page was last revised on January 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 25, 2008, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,707 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 25, 2008, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 4. submitted on May 8, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 5. submitted on December 8, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
