Arlington House Foundation
The Civil War A Memorial to George Washington On April 20, 1861, Lee wrote his fateful letter resigning his commission from the U.S. Army. On April 22, he left Arlington House forever, followed by his wife and family in May. Within days, the house and grounds were occupied by Union troops and incorporated into the defense of Washington, serving variously as a garrison, artillery post, and signal station.
Arlington House Foundation is the nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration, preservation and the advancement of research and educational activities related to Arlington House and the families of George Washington Custis Parke and Robert E. Lee.
In addition to being his home, Custis built Arlington House to serve as a memorial to the nation’s first President and as a museum for his own Washington mementos that had come from Mount Vernon. Custis proved to be ahead of his time in understanding the importance Americans hold for historic artifacts.
