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The Latrobe Chapter is organizing an expedition to Stratford Hall in Virginia’s Northern Neck, on the lower Potomac River, about 80 miles from DC. A landmark of Virginia colonial architecture, Stratford Hall, built ca. 1725-1738, is an impressive brick building in an H-plan, essentially one story on a high basement. The prominent hip roof has two large clusters of chimneys, joined by arches and balustrades. The HABS report describes the building as “an outstanding example of early Georgian domestic architecture,” while Richard Guy Wilson et al., in Buildings of Virginia, described the house as “ambitious, both sophisticated and naïve.” Phil Mark, the Director of Preservation and Maintenance, will lead us on a tour of the house, which was restored by Fiske Kimball in the 1930s.
We will also be exploring some of Stratford’s more complicated history. Built by the Lee family, the Stratford Hall plantation was home to two signers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as their enslaved population. Stratford’s most famous resident was Robert E. Lee, who lived there for a year or two as an infant, but whose fame was enough to inspire the house’s preservation. In 1929 the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation formed, organizing itself on the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association model, with female representatives from every state. Because the directors had to travel to attend meetings and there were few accommodations in the immediate area, they built log cabins, reminiscent of slave cabins, for their intermittent use. Fiske Kimball designed a “Council House,” a brick structure that resembles a colonial church, for their meetings.
Stratford’s buildings reflect its multifaceted and thorny history. Besides the tour of the main house, we will also be able to see the directors’ cabins and the Council House. We will have a catered lunch in the log dining hall, also built for the directors. In addition, a few overnight accommodations are available if you are inspired to make a weekend of it.
Schedule:
10:30am – Arrive at Stratford Hall
11:00am – Guided tour of Stratford Hall
1:00pm – Lunch in Log Dining Room
2:00pm – Viewing of Log Cabins
Cost: $25 for Latrobe Chapter members, $30 for non-members. Tour admission includes entry to Stratford Hall and a box lunch.
Travel: Stratford Hall is about a 2-hour drive from Washington, D. C. (traffic permitting). Please indicate when registering if you would like to participate in the carpool either as a driver or passenger.
Lodging: If you’d like to make a weekend of it, one, two, and three-bedroom cabins and guest houses are available for rent. Please inquire directly with Lesley Brooks of Stratford Hall via phone at (804) 493-1967 or email at LBrooks@stratfordhall.org to reserve lodging.
Please register individually for each attendee. If you have any questions regarding the tour or your membership status, please email info@latrobechaptersah.org. For those interested in carpooling, we will reach out in advance of the tour to coordinate drivers and passengers.