Leesylvania was a

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

and historic home in

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...

, now part of

Leesylvania State Park Leesylvania State Park is located in the southeastern part of Prince William County, Virginia. The land was donated in 1978 by philanthropist Daniel K. Ludwig, and the park was dedicated in 1985 and opened full-time in 1992. History At the time ...

. During the 18th century, it was the home of

Henry Lee II Col. Henry Lee II (1730–1787) of Alexandria, Westmoreland, Virginia Colony, was an American planter, soldier, and politician, the father of Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee III, and grandfather of Robert E. Lee. Early life Lee was the third ...

, his family and numerous

enslaved people Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, and known for its productive land and especially the quality of its

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

. Lee's sons Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee,

Richard Bland Lee Richard Bland Lee (January 20, 1761March 12, 1827) was an American planter, jurist, and politician from Fairfax County, Virginia. He was the son of Henry Lee II (1730–1787) of "Leesylvania" and Lucy Grymes (1734–1792), as well as a younger b ...

and Charles Lee, held prominent positions in Virginia during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and early federal government. Today, only a small portion of the foundation of the house remains, due to road construction in the 1950s. Lee and his wife are buried on the property (the family cemetery accessible by trail), but their headstones were moved to the Union Cemetery in Leesburg in 1969. The Leesylvania Archeological Site was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1984.

History

The original tract of land comprised four headright grants of 50 acres each, given for "each person transported into the 'Kingdom of Virginia'". In 1658,

Henry Corbin Henry Corbin (14 April 1903 – 7 October 1978)Shayegan, DaryushHenry Corbin in Encyclopaedia Iranica. was a French philosopher, theologian, and Iranologist, professor of Islamic studies at the École pratique des hautes études. He was in ...

acquired the land and deeded it to his daughter, Laetitia, to become hers upon coming of age or when she was married. Selected in 1679 as a site for an English fort to defend against Indians, the earliest grave dates from 1690. When Richard "the Scholar" Lee II married Laetitia Corbin in 1675 he took ownership of the land along the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

known as Freestone Point, which passed down through his son,

Henry Lee I Capt. Henry Lee I (1691–1747) was a prominent Virginia colonist, planter, soldier, and politician, brother of Governor Thomas Lee, grandfather of Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III, and great-grandfather of Confederat ...

, to his grandson, Henry Lee II, who inherited the 2,000 acres that would become Leesylvania (Lee's Woods) in 1747. Around 1750 he chose the site on a high ridge overlooking the Potomac River, which is believed to have been similar to nearby

Rippon Lodge Rippon Lodge is one of the oldest houses remaining in Prince William County, Virginia, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971. Built around 1747 by Richard Blackburn (1705-1757) as the main residence and headquarters ...

, which was built around the same time. Typical for plantations of the time, Leesylvania relied on

slave labor Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

. At the time of Lee's death in 1787, he owned 55 slaves who worked the property. The plantation's main crops were tobacco, corn, wheat, and dairy products. There was also a commercial fishing operation. In 1767, a enslaved man from Leesylvania named Harry, along with enslaved iron worker named Gawin from the nearby

Neabsco Iron Works The Neabsco Iron Works (alternates: Neabsco Company; Neabsco Iron Foundry) was located in Woodbridge, Virginia, US. It was situated on by the Neabsco Creek. After abandoning the Bristol Iron Works, John Tayloe I established the Neabsco Iron Fou ...

, attempted to poison Lucy Grymes. Leesylvania corner

When Lee died in 1787, Leesylvania was left to his wife, Lucy, and then to their second son,

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

, upon her death in 1792. He conspicuously excluded his eldest son, "Light-Horse Harry", from inheriting most of his other properties, and any other belongings, including slaves, likely due to his history of poor financial decisions. The house had burnt down in 1790, and Charles mortgaged 2,040 acres to William Lee for a brief time. It was sold by Lee II's grandson, Alfred, in 1825 to Captain Henry Fairfax. The chimney of the Fairfax home can still be seen in the

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

. What remained of the plantation house was destroyed in the 1950s when a road was constructed for the Freestone Point Resort. A small portion of the foundation is visible in its original location within Leesylvania State Park. A corner of the house is reconstructed in the Visitors Center, using sandstone from the property and bricks salvaged from the original site.Wall text, Corner of the Leesylvania Manor House, Leesylvania State Park Visitors Center, Woodbridge, VA

Notable residents

- Built Leesylvania. Served in multiple positions in Prince William County and represented the county in the

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been established ...

. Participated in the

Virginia Conventions The Virginia Conventions have been the assemblies of delegates elected for the purpose of establishing constitutions of fundamental law for the Commonwealth of Virginia superior to General Assembly legislation. Their constitutions and subseque ...

of 1774,

1775 Events Summary The American Revolutionary War began this year, with the first military engagement being the April 19 Battles of Lexington and Concord on the day after Paul Revere's now-legendary ride. The Second Continental Congress t ...

, and 1776. * Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee III - Born at Leesylvania (1756), the first child of Henry Lee II and Lucy Grymes. Notable

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

commander in the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

, and Virginia

Representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...

to the United States Congress. Father of Robert E. Lee. * Charles Lee - Born at Leesylvania (1758), the second child of Henry Lee II. Third

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

. Represented

William Marbury William Marbury (November 7, 1762 – March 13, 1835) was a highly successful American businessman and one of the " Midnight Judges" appointed by United States President John Adams the day before he left office. He was the plaintiff in the landma ...

and other appointees of

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

in ''

Marbury v. Madison ''Marbury v. Madison'', 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803), was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle of Judicial review in the Uni ...

''. *

- Born at Leesylvania (1761), the third child of Henry Lee II. First member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

for

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

and part of the

Compromise of 1790 The Compromise of 1790 was a compromise between Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, where Hamilton won the decision for the national government to take over and pay the state debts, and Jefferson and Madison obtained the nati ...

. Built Sully Plantation. *

Edmund Jennings Lee I Edmund Jennings Lee (May 20, 1772 – May 30, 1843) was a prominent lawyer and politician in Alexandria, Virginia. A member of the Lee family of Virginia, he lived for some time at the Lee-Fendall House in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Earl ...

- Born at Leesylvania (1772), the sixth child of Henry Lee II. Prominent politician in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...

Current site

The ruins of Leesylvania are within current-day

and are accessible via the Lee's Woods Trail.

References

External links

{{commons category, Leesylvania Plantation
The History of the Prince William County Waterfront

The Curtis Collection: A Personal View of Prince William County HistoryLeesylvania (Ruins), State Route 610, Dumfries, Prince William County, VA
2 photos at

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

Leesylvania State Park

Find A Grave: Leesylvania Plantation Graveyard
Lee family residences Plantations in Virginia Protected areas established in 1985 1985 establishments in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Prince William County, Virginia

History

Notable residents

Current site

See also

References

External links