PRESERVATION
Stratford Hall’s preservation efforts aim to re-create the appearance of the Great House, the surrounding buildings, and grounds as it looked during the time that the Lees of Virginia resided on-site.
The Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation was created in 1929 to acquire the 18th-century Stratford Hall estate and grounds and, in the words of the foundation’s by-laws, “restore, furnish, preserve, and maintain it as a national shrine in perpetual memory of Robert E. Lee.” The foundation, whose name was later changed to the Robert E. Lee Memorial Association, bought the nearly 2,000-acre historic site from the Stuart family.
We are committed to inspiring an appreciation of America’s past, and the preservation and restoration work that has continued for more than 90 years is a large part of fulfilling that mission for our visitors. Connection to a place – a love and understanding of place – is the cornerstone of historic preservation. Preservation of the Great House, outbuildings, landscapes, and collections, is part of a love of place that spans generations. The preservation and restoration of the Great House, the outbuildings, and grounds is a collaboration of a team of experts, including architects, architectural historians, craftspeople and consultants. In recent years, Great House rooms, passageways, and the exterior design have been the focus of research and restoration work.