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Robert E. Lee Boyhood Home Sold for Reduced Price

After two years on the market, the boyhood home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Old Town has been sold for $4.7 million, according to the Washington Business Journal.

The 8,145-square-foot Potts-Fitzhugh House at 601-607 Oronoco Street went on the market in 2018 for a much higher price — $8.5 million.

The Georgian-Federal home was built in 1795 and takes up approximately a half-acre. It is also part of the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion has six bedrooms, four bathrooms and two half bathrooms, according to the Washington Fine Properties listing.

The Daughters of the Confederacy recently removed the Appomattox monument in Old Town amid racial and social unrest following the murder of George Floyd — also after the state legislature authorized the city to remove it. Additionally, Alexandria City Public Schools is looking at changing the name of T.C. Williams High School, since Williams was an avid segregationist.

Lee was the commanding general of the Confederate Army for the final three years of the Civil War. His family touted a fine Virginia pedigree, since his father, Light-Horse Harry Lee, was the ninth Governor of Virginia and who also served as a cavalry officer in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Recent days have not been sympathetic to Lee, as there are efforts underway to have his statue removed in Richmond and for his name to be stricken from West Point buildings.

ALXnow has not confirmed the name of the buyer.

Photos via HRL Partners with Washington Fine Properties

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.