Mary Anna Custis Lee

Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee was born on October 1, 1807, in Annefield, Clarke County, Virginia. Her birth year is documented as 1807 in her family records, including the Custis family Bible and her mother's papers. She was the only surviving child of George Washington Parke Custis and Mary Lee Fitzhugh Custis. Her paternal grandfather was the grandson of Martha Washington, wife of President George Washington. Through her father’s sister Eleanor Calvert, she descended from Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, and thereby from King Charles II of England and Scotland. Her maternal lineage includes William Fitzhugh of Virginia.

Her godmother was Mary Randolph, the first person buried at Arlington Estate. Custis Lee was descended from multiple prominent colonial families, including the Parke Custis, Fitzhugh, Dandrige, Randolph, Rolfe, and Gerard lineages. She was a well-educated woman, proficient in Latin and Greek, and engaged in literary and painting pursuits, often creating landscapes. She inherited Arlington House from her father in 1857, which served as her family’s residence.

She married Robert E. Lee in 1831 at Arlington House, her parents’ home. Robert E. Lee was then a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Engineers. Their marriage produced seven children: George Washington Custis "Custis," William H. Fitzhugh "Rooney," Robert Edward Jr., and daughters Mary, Eleanor Agnes, Anne, and Mildred. None of the daughters married.

Custis Lee was known for her religious devotion, attending Episcopal services and participating in her community’s religious life. She kept her household and was a gracious hostess, with an interest in horticulture, cultivating roses and various trees and flowers in her gardens. She also painted landscapes, with some of her works still displayed at Arlington House.

Following her father's death in 1857, she published his writings as "Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington, by his Adopted Son George Washington Parke Custis" in 1859. She also actively engaged with her family’s estate and history. She taught her slaves to read and write and supported the idea of eventual emancipation; however, she did not free her slaves prior to the abolition of slavery in 1865.

Custis Lee suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, which increasingly limited her mobility, and by 1861, she was using a wheelchair. During the American Civil War, she left Arlington House in May 1861 and relocated among family plantations to escape the advancing conflict. In 1862, she was permitted passage through Union lines to seek refuge in Richmond, Virginia. She and her children later lived at various locations, including Bremo Bluff and Powhatan County, before settling in Lexington after the war.

The federal government seized Arlington House after the war, establishing Arlington National Cemetery. Custis Lee attempted to reclaim her family estate through correspondence and appeals but was unsuccessful. She visited Arlington one last time in 1873, recognizing once-familiar landmarks from her carriage, though she was scarcely able to leave her vehicle due to her health.

Mary Anna Custis Lee died on November 5, 1873, at the age of 66. She was buried beside her husband in the Lee family crypt at University Chapel on Washington and Lee University’s campus. Her life was marked by her familial ties, her cultural and educational pursuits, and her experiences during the Civil War era.