The Initiative

Legislation to Redesignate Arlington House is currently sitting in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill was introduced March 27, 2025 and awaits action by two Congressional committees: Armed Services Committee and Veterans Affairs Committee. 

Read the Full Legislation:

Redesignating the Robert E. Lee Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery as the “Arlington House National Historic Site”

House bill, H.J.Res. 63

Legislative History of Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial

By Matthew Penrod, National Park Service (ret.)

Purpose: Background on the creation of the National Park Service unit, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial.

How did Arlington House come to be designated as a memorial to Robert E. Lee? Following the Civil War, Arlington House fell under the administration of the United States Army. The home was referred to as the Custis-Lee Mansion or simply the Lee Mansion to differentiate it from the cemetery that surrounded it. The home had become an office for the administration of the cemetery.

A generation of American Civil War veterans began dying in the early 1900s around the time of the 50th anniversary of the war. Memorials and monuments began being erected across both the North and South at an accelerated rate during this period. The spirit and feeling of reconciliation between North and South was strengthened when Arlington Cemetery allowed Confederate soldiers to be buried in the cemetery and a monument was erected to their dead there.

The 1920s marked a volatile time period in American history. After emancipation, many African Americans faced discrimination and violence throughout the Jim Crow era. The mid 1920s marked the height of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States, and in 1925 tens of thousands of KKK members marched down the streets of Washington, DC. The 1920s also marked many other changes. Throughout this time alcohol was prohibited throughout the United States. The 1920s saw a large economic boom in the United States and would later be referred to as “The Roaring Twenties.” The successful conclusion of World War I in 1918 made clear that the United States had become a world superpower. This had seemed unlikely just sixty years earlier when Americans killed each other by the tens of thousands in the Civil War. As the increasing popularity of the automobile made travel much easier, tourism across the nation became extremely popular. Historic sites began to be established as Americans desired to visit sites important to American history, such as Colonial Williamsburg or Mount Vernon.

The area immediately around Arlington began to change greatly at this time. In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated directly across the Potomac River from Arlington House. That same year the United States government decided a bridge should stretch across the Potomac River at this location, connecting the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington House and Arlington National Cemetery. The Arlington Memorial Bridge physically and symbolically linked the north and south as a symbol of reunion. A federal parkway was also built during this time to connect the city of Washington, DC to the home of George Washington, Mount Vernon. Completed in 1932 the parkway was known as the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway and is the section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway from Arlington Memorial Bridge to Mount Vernon.

In the 1920s, at the urging of Frances Parkinson Keyes, the wife of a New Hampshire Senator, some preservationists asked the U.S. Army to turn over Arlington House to the United Daughters of the Confederacy so that they could restore it to honor Robert E. Lee. The Army refused, believing that they would use the house to glorify their cause and Lee’s role in the Confederate States.1 In 1925, Congress acted to forge a compromise. The house would be restored to honor Lee, but the U.S. government would control it and it would focus on Lee’s efforts to promote peace and reunion after the war. The 68th Congress that passed this legislation was controlled by the Republican Party. The bill was passed with unanimous consent and was signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge, also a Republican.2 The legislation read: (cosponsored by Louis Cramton of Michigan (R) and Walton Moore of Virginia (D)) “now honor is accorded Robert E. Lee as one of the great military leaders of history, whose exalted character, noble life, and eminent services are recognized and esteemed, and whose manly attributes of precept and example were compelling factors in cementing the American people in bonds of patriotic devotion and action against common external enemies in the war with Spain and in the World War, thus consummating the hope of a reunited country that would again swell the chorus of the Union.” U.S. Representative Louis Cramton (a Republican from Michigan), whose father had served in the Union Army and fought against Robert E. Lee, declared that “it is unprecedented in history for a nation to have gone through as great a struggle as we did in the Civil War”3 and then to become “so absolutely reunited.” He felt that “there was no man in the South who did more by his precept and example to help bring about that condition than did Robert E. Lee.”4

In 1933, during the Great Depression and as many War Department sites were being transferred to the National Park Service, the house, outbuildings and grounds immediately surrounding the home were transferred from the U.S. Army to the National Park Service.

By 1955 the national Civil Rights movement began to take shape. The previous year the Supreme Court handed down the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling that declared racial segregation in schools as unconstitutional. In Virginia, a campaign of “Massive Resistance” to forcing schools to integrate began. This era was also the same time that the United States was emerging from its successful intervention in World War II. The nation also was nearing the centennial of the American Civil War. In 1957 Congress established a commission to properly commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the war. As the nation prepared to commemorate the centennial, and to mark the 90th anniversary of the surrender at Appomattox, the United States Congress formally recognized the restored home (then called the Custis-Lee Mansion) in Arlington National Cemetery as a national memorial to Robert E. Lee because he “... attained world renown as a military genius, and after Appomattox fervently devoted himself to peace, to the reuniting of the Nation, and to the advancement of youth education and the welfare and progress of mankind ...”

This legislation was introduced by Republican Representative Joel Broyhill of Virginia in the House of Representatives, a staunch segregationist. Broyhill was part of a large group of Southern congressmen and senators that signed onto a “Southern Manifesto” that declared their opposition to integration of public places in the United States the following year in 1956. But the legislation that created the Robert E. Lee Memorial was introduced in the US Senate by Senator Estes Kefauver, one of only three Southern Democrats who refused to sign this segregationist document. The bill was also supported in the US Senate by another Southern Democrat who refused to sign the Southern Manifesto and later became a United States President, Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson of Texas, who would go on to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The bill was passed by the Democratically controlled Senate and House unanimously and was signed into law by Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Following the Civil War, Robert E. Lee had showed his commitment to reunification by taking an Amnesty Oath on October 2, 1865 where he swore allegiance to the United States government. However, this oath became lost for decades until it was re-discovered in the National Archives in 1970. Shortly after that discovery, in 1972, the Custis-Lee Mansion was officially renamed Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial and the house was affirmed again as a memorial to Robert E. Lee. The name known to both the Custis and Lee families had officially been returned. This action passed unanimously in the Democratically controlled 92nd Congress of the United States and was signed into law by Republican President Richard Nixon. This legislation was introduced again by Joel Broyhill of Virginia as he wished for a differentiation to be made between Arlington House and Lee mansion at Stratford Hall in Virginia.

In 1975, as the nation reeled from the Watergate scandal and the conclusion of the Vietnam War, but as it prepared for the nation’s bicentennial, Congress voted to restore Robert E. Lee’s citizenship as “this entire Nation has long recognized the outstanding virtues of courage, patriotism, and selfless devotion to duty of General R. E. Lee, and has recognized the contribution of General Lee in healing the wounds of the War Between the States.”

Senator Harry F. Byrd (I) of Virginia introduced the bill in the Senate. This bill passed unanimously in the Democrat controlled United States Senate. Among the votes in favor of the motion were future presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden (D) and current Senator Patrick Leahy (D). The bill then passed the Democrat controlled House of Representatives on a 407-10 vote. Included in the majority vote, were eleven of the sixteen members of who were African American representatives, including Shirley Anita Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress. According to The New York Times, the ten dissenters objected more to the fact that there were no protections for Vietnam War draft evaders included and dismissed the bill as “Bicentennial fluff.”5 Republican President Gerald R. Ford officially posthumously restored Robert E. Lee’s citizenship by signing the bill into law at a ceremony on the portico at Arlington House on August 5, 1975. Before signing the law, President Ford reminded the audience that Lee worked to restore the Union following the bitter war: “Once the war was over, he firmly felt the wounds of the North and South must be bound up. He sought to show by example that the citizens of the South must dedicate their efforts to rebuilding that region of the country as a strong and vital part of the American Union.”6

Over the course of fifty years between 1925 and 1975, Robert E. Lee was honored by the United States government on at least four separate occasions by four different Congresses and Presidents. All four times, there was overwhelming support from both Republicans and Democrats, both North and South, and both black and white, to acknowledge Lee’s efforts to reunite the country in the wake of the American Civil War. All four of those occasions focused on the importance of Arlington House in telling the story of reconciliation and reunion in the United States, culminating with the important symbol of restoring Robert E. Lee’s citizenship on the portico of the house in 1975.

Rather than a static monument to the man, Arlington House is a living memorial. It exists as a place of study and contemplation of the meaning of some of the most difficult aspects of American history: military service; sacrifice; citizenship; duty; loyalty; slavery; and freedom.

A major rehabilitation effort was completed in the spring of 2020 that included artifact conservation, facilities restoration, and installation of new interpretive exhibits. As the stewards of Arlington House, the National Park Service preserves the site as a place that can inspire people of all backgrounds. Park staff are committed to telling stories inclusive of multiple historical perspectives and grounded in current research.

References

1. Chornesky, Michael. “Confederate Island upon the Union's "Most Hallowed Ground": The Battle to Interpret Arlington House, 1921-1937.” Washington History. Vol. 27, No. 1 (SPRING 2015), pp. 20-33.

2. Congressional Record, January 21, 1925.

3. Restoration of Lee Mansion: Hearing, Sixty-eighth Congress, First Session, May 28, 1924. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1925. 2.

4. Ibid., 3.

5. “Citizenship is Voted for Robert E. Lee” New York Times, July 23, 1975.

6. President Gerald R. Ford's Remarks Upon Signing a Bill Restoring Rights of Citizenship to General Robert E. Lee

The Business Case for Redesignating Arlington House As a National Historic Site

Executive Summary

A united group of descendant family members from both those who were enslaved and free at the Arlington House Plantation, presently named for its connection to Robert E. Lee, is calling for an updated name that reflects the fullness of stories connected to the site. Because this space is managed by the National Park Service, Congressional action is needed to redesignate Arlington House. This name change is inclusive of all the history being curated and shared by the National Park Service with the public. Having the only authority to act in this matter, Congress should redesignate the Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial as the Arlington House National Historic Site.

In recognizing the more inclusive history of Arlington House, Congress can provide leadership in nurturing the healing of painful history in ways that speak truth and reconciliation to the current polarized moment. This redesignation will also deepen and enhance the economic opportunities possible when people of color feel welcomed into previously exclusionary spaces.

Arlington House is a National Park Service managed site that overlooks the nation’s capital and the graves of those who have lost their lives protecting and serving our country. It should be a site that is appreciated and attractive to all visitors because it offers an opportunity to expand our knowledge and provide a better understanding of our nation’s history.

The Opportunity

There were more than 327 million visits to U.S. national parks in 2019. However, surveys commissioned by the National Park Service to see how different population groups related to the National Parks found that, collectively, minorities made up just over 20 percent of the visitors to national parks, despite the fact that they make up more than 40 percent of the U.S. population. The complex history of Arlington House has, in the past, not made it an accessible cultural tourism destination for the millions of Americans whose histories of colonialism, enslavement, and oppression remain to be fully understood and addressed in public spaces.

Robert E. Lee’s military responsibilities greatly restricted his time at the plantation house, a property owned by his wife Mary (he lived there for 8 years, and never owned the land). Lee’s history at the site cannot be diminished and should be told in its entirety. The history of Lee and the Civil War at Arlington House are important chapters that must be taught. However, they are no more important than the longer history and incredible stories that are overlooked of the enslaved people who built the house, lived here, nurtured hopes and dreams, protected the house during the Civil War and made it run, and persevered through and beyond enslavement.

Those rediscovered stories, as reflected in recent archaeological discoveries by the National Park Service of items found buried below the South Slave Quarters where the Gray family lived, now also include a powerful example of reconciliation. Lee is part of the history at Arlington house, but he is not the history at Arlington House. After 160 years, descendant family members whose ancestors were from both enslaved and free families at the Arlington House Plantation were given the opportunity to meet one another for the first time in 2021. Rich and personal facilitated conversations fostered the creation of a “Family Circle” in which members shared hopes for the future. Together, they decided to raise their collective voices to tell a more inclusive history of the Arlington House Plantation in a variety of ways. At the top of the list of the Family Circle’s unified priorities is the redesignation of the site. With bipartisan House and Senate sponsors, the Family Circle helped craft a 180-word joint resolution to redesignate the site as Arlington House National Historic Site.

The Solution

In 2020, the National Park Service completed a renovation and rehabilitation project for the Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial (ARHO), underwritten by a generous $12.35M gift from David M. Rubenstein. In a Washington Post opinion editorial (OpEd) Mr. Rubenstein stated that:

“The Robert E. Lee Memorial was portrayed as a way to honor Lee’s post-Confederacy efforts toward national reconciliation. ... That aim may have been well-intended at the time, but that was then. Today, we live in a time when symbols of racial intolerance need to be removed – and the sooner the better. ... Arlington House is a historic home; it should not be torn down. Historic sites, as opposed to pseudo-historic monuments, have value in teaching us about the past – the good and the bad. Congress should act quickly to redesignate the building, whether simply as Arlington House, Arlington Cemetery House, Memorial House or any other name that does not offend Americans and helps remind us of the many patriots who have given the last full measure of devotion to their country.”

In a September 2022 Washington Post OpEd, members of the Family Circle wrote:

“The National Park Service’s recent renovations to Arlington House restored the mansion and added as much information as possible about those enslaved there, for which we are grateful. However, there is still work to be done to remember those forgotten stories. As a first step, we need to acknowledge the intertwinement of the lives of those who lived at Arlington House and those who were enslaved there, and we believe renaming the site to be more inclusive is a step in the right direction.”

The same month, the National Park Service offered testimony in a Senate subcommittee hearing stating:

“The Department of the Interior supports this redesignation. ... As the stewards of Arlington House, the NPS is committed to telling stories inclusive of multiple historical perspectives and grounded in current research. The renaming of the site as a national historic site ... is consistent with NPS efforts to tell the full history of Arlington House and the people who built, maintained, and resided on the property.”

In April 2023, a one-of-a-kind reunion took place. Approximately 100 Arlington House descendant family members, whose ancestors were either enslaved or enslavers, gathered for a three-day reunion that was called “Finding Our Voice.” This was the first opportunity for most descendants to meet in person. A public program was held at the Lee Memorial that was attended by more than 175 people that received media attention and raised awareness. This work by the Family Circle is both emotional and difficult. It is an example for how our country can begin to repair itself and to heal over some of the division that we've had for so long. The descendant families strongly support the redesignation of Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial to Arlington House National Historic Site, a name that embraces the full history.

Congressional action is needed to redesignate Arlington House so that it is inclusive of all the history being curated and shared by the National Park Service with the public. Having the only authority to act in this matter, Congress should redesignate the Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial to Arlington House National Historic Site. An online petition has been established that is growing and letters are being sent to elected officials to seek help and support.

By embracing a set of values and concepts that include: Honesty, Holistic, Dialogue, Honor, and Accountability, this redesignation reflects NPS’ ongoing efforts to make our Nation’s parks more welcoming and desirable to all visitors who want to learn more about our Nation’s history. Redesignation would help NPS fulfill its mission:

“to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration for this, and future, generations.”

Petition to Redesignate Arlington House

Read the letter by the Descendant Family Circle.

Sign the Online Petition

Growing across the U.S.! Sign the petition to Redesignate Arlington House as a National Historic Site at change.org and have your zip code location added to the map!

Map

We have developed a map to illustrate where signers of the petition are located. With your help, we can get more elected officials to become cosponsors of the redesignation bill (H.J. Res. 63).

You have the ability to send your elected representative a note asking them to support the bill and to become a resolution cosponsor. It's really easy. Check out the interactive petition mapper.

We have received reports from others using the mapper who reported SUCCESS!! Here is how you do it.

1. Find your zip code or congressional district on the map and click on it.

2. On the popup, select the link to contact your elected members of Congress (House and Senate).

3. Go to the elected official's contact page to send them a constituent message.

4. Use the draft text provided on the mapper or below to help frame your message.

Who’s On Board?

Support is growing for the redesignation of this important historic site! What can you do to join the movement?

1. Find your state on this chart and the interactive map.

2. Contact your Representative and your Senators and encourage them to sign the legislation.

3. Spread the word! Share the change.org petitionwith your family and friends.