The identities of those engaged by Thomas Lee in the late 1730s to design and build Stratford are a mystery. Architectural research suggests that master builder William Walker was responsible for overseeing the construction.

The Great House and its surrounding out houses sit on high bluffs overlooking the Potomac River. The Georgian style buildings were constructed from brick made on the site and timber cut from virgin forest. A recent dendrochronology study has established that the yellow-poplar trees used to construct the roof and ceiling of the Great House were felled after the growing seasons of 1737-1739.

In plan, the Great House is H-shaped. The bricks are laid in Flemish bond, a brick bond in which each course consists of alternating headers and stretchers. Below the water table, the header bricks were glazed for decorative purposes. The larger windows on the upper floor have flat arches of gauged brick, while the smaller windows on the ground level are topped with segmental arches. One of the most distinguishing exterior features of Stratford is its two clusters of chimneys, four in each stack, bound together by arches enclosing the balustraded platforms that rise above the hipped roof. On the upper story, all windows, exterior doors, corners and chimney caps are emphasized by borders of brick rubbed to produce a subtle change in color.

The interior arrangement of the two levels at Stratford is unique in colonial domestic architecture. The upper floor contains the formal living spaces, including the elegant Great Hall, Parlor, Dining Room and Library. The less formal areas, such as the store rooms, offices and service rooms, are on the ground floor.

Located in the center of the main floor, the Great Hall is an outstanding example of Georgian symmetry. A twenty-nine-foot square area with a seventeen-foot-high tray ceiling, the room is adorned with large windows, exterior double doors, and interior passage doors. Applied pilasters with carved Corinthian capitals (image at left) adorn the fully paneled walls.