The historic two-story brick house at 607-601 Oronoco Street, Alexandria, Virginia, is up for sale again for $5.9million. However, real estate agents have omitted the fact it was once Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s boyhood home.
Lee, a controversial figure who owned slaves and fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War, moved into the sprawling 8,145-square-foot home at the age of five, after his father, Virginia Gov. Henry ‘Light-Horse Henry’ Lee III was released from debtors’ prison. William Henry Fitzhugh, a cousin, rented them the property.
He grew to be a six-bedroom, four and a half-bathroom boy in the home until he left it for West Point Military Academy, in 1825.
Soon he was a star in his country’s service. But when Virginia seceded, in 1825 he took the side his home state and fought for Confederacy in Civil War.
Lee returned to the house after Appomattox defeat in 1865. According to a historical marker, he climbed over a wall in order to check if snowball bushes that he grew with were still in bloom.
The house, officially known as the Potts-Fitzhugh House – after its first and second owners, John Potts and William Fitzhugh, is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is also known for having George Washington, a friend of Fitzhugh’s, dine there.
Marquis de Lafayette, another Revolutionary War hero, reportedly visited the home during a long ‘homecoming tour’ of the United States in 1824.
The Washington Post reports that the listing does not mention any history and that the photographer has apparently taken a photo of the house to remove the large historical marker at the front.
DailyMail.com reached out to the listing agent in order to obtain comment.
A listing on Realtor.com for Robert E. Lee’s childhood house seems to have omitted a historic marker at the front
The sprawling property is situated on a half-acre parcel of land in the heart Alexandria’s Old Town.
The six-bedroom, four-and-a half bathroom house also has lush grounds with lots of specimen trees.
According to a marker outside the house, Lee was reported to have returned to the house after he lost in the Civil War to see if the snowball plants he grew with were still there.
The home had been used previously as a museum for the former general. Ann and Mark Kington purchased it in 2000.
Robert E. Lee’s childhood home is for sale at $5.9 million.
The house was previously used as a museum by the former general. However, Mark and Ann Kington purchased it for $2.5million from the Lee-Jackson Foundation in 2000 when the nonprofit couldn’t afford its upkeep.
After a three year, multimillion-dollar renovation, they were able to live in Alexandria’s historic Old Town together with their children. It is now too big to live in, and the couple’s children have moved on.
The 6 bedroom, 226-year old home had been sold in 2019 when Lee’s identity was prominently displayed in its listing.
According to the Guardian, it was worth $4.7 million and has been renovated and restored since then.
The Potts Fitzhugh house was subsequently put back on the marketplace last year for $8.5million. However, the owners reduced its price to $5.6million.
According to the New York Post, the home is still significantly more expensive than the median home price of $549,000. It is the most expensive house in the city.
The centerpiece of the 226-year old home is a winding staircase
For residents and guests to relax, there are plenty of sitting areas throughout the house.
The listing on Realtor.com states that the grand entrance welcomes you to a storybook foyer.
Although the original windows were removed and replaced, the colonial feel of this home has not been lost.
The Kingtons removed 43 layers of paint from the house when they bought it.
The fireplace in the main bedroom is ideal for winter nights.
The master bedroom also features its own dressing area.
Today, the sprawling mansion with six bedrooms and four and a quarter bathrooms retains much its colonial charm.
It sits on a half-acre, double lot in the heart of Alexandria’s Old Town and boasts high ceilings, multiple seating areas and a large formal dining room with floor to ceiling windows.
The home also features an enormous great room and a master bedroom with its own dressing room and fireplace.
The listing on Realtor.com states that the grand entrance leads to a storybook foyer. It features’majority architecture, juxtaposed with historical period details and natural lighting, creating a warm, yet majestic scene.
To maintain the colonial look of the house, the original windows were also reconstructed or replaced. Lee’s large garden, which he once loved as a child, still stands.
‘Designed with traditional elegance, this timeless estate is light, bright and open throughout,’ the listing boasts, noting that the estate ‘is truly magical’ with ‘patios, countless specimen trees and lush grounds outside the home.’
The house has high ceilings and a formal dining space with floor to ceiling windows.
A fireplace is located just outside your kitchen so you can warm up while you wait to get your food
The attic is large enough to store extra bedrooms or other items.
The large garden Lee enjoyed as a kid still stands on the property
However, not everything is as it was in Lee’s memory. It has been updated over the years to make it more modern.
According to the New York Post, 43 layers of paint were removed by the Kingtons. The primary suite now features a spa bath with dual vanities as well as a soaking bathtub.
The kitchen has also been updated with new appliances, a center island, and glass-front cabinetry.
Beyond the garden, you will find a standalone two-car garage with a studio area.
Other features include a office and a recreation space.
The kitchen has been updated with new appliances and glass front cabinets
Lee didn’t have a washer and dryer growing up.
The primary bathroom includes a spa bathtub with dual vanities and an soaking tub.
The large house has a total of four and a half bathrooms
It is conveniently located near the Metro and National Airport according to the listing
Lee didn’t need a garage with two stories when he was growing up.
According to the listing, it is in a convenient area with easy access from National Airport, Metro stops and Amazon HQ2 in Arlington.
According to the New York Post, it is only steps away from shops, restaurants and grocery stores, Founders Park, and the Potomac River waterfront marina.
Nearby schools include a highly rated elementary named in part after Thomas Jefferson, according the Guardian. This controversial historical figure is also known for his enslavement and alleged rape one of his slaves.
The Jefferson-Houston school was also named after Charles Hamilton Houston, the first general counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He was also a pioneer of school integration.
It promises ‘Equity to all’
Lee, center, is a controversial figure because he owned slaves and fought for the Confederacy to have slaves during the American Civil War
Lee statues throughout the South have fallen in the six years since their construction.
One Lee statue was taken off its podia in Richmond, Virginia last month
General Lee, a Confederacy general, has been controversial for his support for slavery and fight to keep slaves free.
Washington Post reports that Lee statues were taken down in the South over the past six years by protestors who denounced the general’s ownership and use of slaves.
Opposition to another Lee statue was the catalyst for the 2017 Unite the Right rally that resulted in Heather Heyer’s death by a neo Nazi in Charlottesville, Virginia.
It was finally removed in July. A second statue in Richmond, Virginia, was also taken down last month.
The Guardian reports that Lee’s larger home at Arlington, which is part of the national cemeteries built by the government, still stands.