You know you are in Virginia when... As the waitress delivers your dinner she drawls.... Y'all enjoy!
It has been an enjoyable day. We are at Stratford Hall the ancestral home of the Lee Family. The family Patriarch Thomas was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. His son's Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee were the only brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence. Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee was a colonel in the Revolutionary War and his son Robert E. (for Edward) Lee was born at Stratford in 1807. Construction on the massive, brick great house began in 1737.
It has been an enjoyable day. We are at Stratford Hall the ancestral home of the Lee Family. The family Patriarch Thomas was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. His son's Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee were the only brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence. Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee was a colonel in the Revolutionary War and his son Robert E. (for Edward) Lee was born at Stratford in 1807. Construction on the massive, brick great house began in 1737.
One of the joys of traveling in the winter is that so few other folks are doing it. We frequently find ourselves in Park Service auditoriums viewing films by ourselves or taking private tours with Historic House guides. Here at Stratford we are the only occupants of a 10 room guest house with a large beautifully decorated living room. Which this morning meant that we could loll about in our P.J.'s and watch the rain through the large windows. Then it was off to breakfast where it was just us and the cook in the dining room. We did have to contend with one other couple on the tour of the great house.
Here are some pictures of the interior of the house. These are the few pictures we managed to take of the interior. At the end of this page, there is an immersive photo tour of the interior, using Google Street View technology, that I found on the Internet.
Our tour guide for the Stratford Hall tour was Octogenarian Edna Mae. She gets the award for the most colorful tour guide ever. Edna Mae is a fast talker with a sing song, southern accented dramatic delivery that leaves you slightly breathless. She did have an amazing fount of knowledge, especially of the generations Virginia families.
After our tour the sun had come out and the temperature rose to almost 50 degrees. We walked around the grounds and then went for a drive to check out the towns around this area.
Check out these historical markers below. Here on the banks of the Potomac there must have been "something in the water" during the 1700's and very early 1800's. Within a 10 mile radius are the birthplaces of James Madison, George Washington and Robert E. Lee were born.
Finally, here is an immersive tour of the interior of Stratford Hall. If you are familiar with Google Street view, you can navigate around using the same techniques.