It is commonly (and falsely) believed that Robert E. Lee owned the Arlington House, the mansion at Arlington Cemetery. The Arlington house stands atop a crest of Virginia hillside rising above the [[Potomac River]] where it overlooks Washington, D.C. As a result of his marital ties to the Washington family, Lee was custodian of the property, which was originally intended to be both a working farm and a monument to [[George Washington]]. The property had fallen upon hard times and disrepair when Lee returned from the [[Mexican American War]] to oversee the property. However, just before the outbreak of the [[Civil War | War between the States]], Lee had returned the property to good repair and profitability. | It is commonly (and falsely) believed that Robert E. Lee owned the Arlington House, the mansion at Arlington Cemetery. The Arlington house stands atop a crest of Virginia hillside rising above the [[Potomac River]] where it overlooks Washington, D.C. As a result of his marital ties to the Washington family, Lee was custodian of the property, which was originally intended to be both a working farm and a monument to [[George Washington]]. The property had fallen upon hard times and disrepair when Lee returned from the [[Mexican American War]] to oversee the property. However, just before the outbreak of the [[Civil War | War between the States]], Lee had returned the property to good repair and profitability. |