stratford hall plantation

We missed all the birthday activities the Saturday before General Lee's birthday but spent the actual day at the Plantation. The tour was excellent and filled with historical facts and fables. We will be back again!

This is a wonderful place to tour, or just walk around. The dining room has wonderful food with a very nice porch and also inside area with fireplace. Very colonial - very romantic. The gift shop is great! And the many events there (esp wine) make it even more enjoyable! Great family day touring the house and grounds or just having a picnic!

The Lees were tobacco farmers with slaves to grow the crop. The plantation now consists of 1900 acres, a Visitors' Center, cabins, dining hall, stables and a magnificent original brick mansion with 8 chimneys, four chimneys on each end of the mansion. The stables have several original horse drawn carriages which should not be missed.What is poignant about the Lee story is the fact that they were the arbiters of taste in that area of Virginia in the 1700s. The ballroom is the center of house and paintings of Lees stare out from the walls among whom are two signers of the Declaraion of Independence. Robert E. Lee was born here, but had to leave with his parents when his father debt-ridden had to relinquish ownership. Instead of attending Princeton with the rest of the males in the family, Robert excelled at West Point and later in his military leadership in the war between North and South.The education of the many children and life below stairs were fascinating to our most informative and excellent guide and to us!

In late October, wee visited both Stratford Hall and George Washington's birthplace which are about 20 minutes apart. We were really surprised at the entrance fee ($12/person), but paid it anyway since we were there and expected a good tour. The visitor center was very nice and the people there were gracious. We were disappointed, however, in Stratford Hall once we got inside and had the tour. The house was under renovation, cold and impersonal. Our guide informed us that she was a retired school teacher. Her accent, which seemed to be forced (I am from the South and also have an accent), made us want to leave the tour or request another guide. But we were the only two on the tour. She was difficult to understand and she seemed to be more concerned about telling us who donated what furniture or $$ to buy it than telling us about the furnishings. After we left the house we drove the grounds with the map provided. Very informative, but not worth the price of admission. We will not return and cannot recommend it unless you feel you must see it (as in my case). In retrospect, I guess we expected National Park quality in a private property but it did not measure up.

Visiting Stratford Hall is everything you want in in a historic house and grounds. The Visitors' center explains the history of the Lee family to put the history of the house and plantation into perspective. After viewing the house in which they are changing two of the upper level rooms to the Federal design style down to the studs. The grounds are extensive and you can wander at your leisure. There are different trails marked with different degrees of difficulty. You can walk or drive to the grist mill and beach where you can hunt for fossils and look at the Miocene age cliffs.

Be prepared to be awestruck by Stratford Hall! The massive 18th century structure spans the history of America. It was home to the only brothers who signed the Declaration of Independence and was the early childhood home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Magnificent house! 1,900 acres of unspoiled countryside. Worthwhile programs covering topics from colonial architecture to cultural landscapes and gardens to palentology (the cliffs at Stratford are unique and yield sharks teeth and other fossils and, recently, an entire historic whale)! The summer Grand Camp (for grandparents and grandchildren) is a unique experience no grandchild should miss. The guest houses at Stratford Hall are lovely -- clean, well appointed, comfortable, and well priced with breakfast in the rustic dining room included in the cost. Stratford Hall is a place that should be visited by anyone interested in history, or who enjoys nature, or just wants a quiet place to enjoy time away from home. Well marked trails within the 1,900 acres are ideal for walking, there is a functioning grist mill on the Potomac River, and sharks teeth can be found on the beach along the river. Visit Stratford Hall and you will want to return again and again.

It seems very difficult to find historical sites that are original; not rebuilt. Stratford was obviously build very well in the 1730's since the brick and mortar are both original. We took the guided tour of the house (the only way you can get inside). Although most of the furnishings are not original the two that are pointed out. The history of the family is fascinating. The grounds are immense and you can spend all day there walking the several paths on the plantation. We went out to the grist mill as well as were able to see how the location of this property made it so important in the tobacco trade.

Our guide was Beth, retired teacher. Very personable and one of the best guides we've had at area tours. We have been here several times over a number of years. Nice gift shop. Lots to explore. House changes since last visit include revising two main rooms--just a shell at the moment. Food available not far in Montross--Yesterday's was very good. Or take a picnic and eat in the garden. It was great to reconnect with our local history.

My wife and I visited the Wine and Oyster Festival at Stratford Hall on 9/20/14. There were many wineries and vendors present. We had a great time visiting each booth and meeting different folks throughout the grounds. The oysters were delicious, as was the wine. Surprisingly, there was not an overwhelmingly large crowd present, which made the event much more fun. I would definitely attend this event again.

Virginia has many historic homes one can tour. At Stratford hall, one can sense the ghosts that inhabit the acestral home of the Lee Family. The house itself rises up, crowned by the two massive chimney blocks. Also on the property are stables, a good visitors' center and grounds. That such a home could be built in the early 1700s is somewhat astonishing.

Should have told us dog were not allowed before taking our money. We told the guy at the entrance about the dogs.

The house is really something to see. Our tour guide was really good. She was very knowledgeable of the place. She was a senior woman who I got the impression had lived in the area all her life. Her accent and how fast she talked was a bit hard to understand at times but I found that to be part of the charm.After the tour you're allowed to wander the grounds on your own. I always like it when places allow you to go at your own pace as I don't like being in a large group for very long.I only wish with such nice grounds dogs were allowed.

Me and the wife were passing by on our way home from the beach and figured this was as good a place as any for a break. That was a good decision. We learned a lot and felt that we got a nice insight into the early years of the colonies. We would probably have gotten even more out of the visit if we had studied the family and local history a bit before coming here.

Love fossil hunting on the Cliffs of Stratford, staying in a rustic cabin, eating at the southern style cantina, exploring our nations history and just feeling the breeze of the Southern Shore of the Potomac River.

This is a real gem to visit. The museum is nice, the grounds are gorgeous, the gift shop was wonderful. Though Lee only lived here the first 3.5 years of his life (that part was disappointing) it was still fun to learn about the Lee history and what life was like then. The tour guide left a lot to be desired. She had the passion but not the delivery. I could barely understand her accent and she spoke very fast and dramatically. I could tell the whole group felt the same way. She went on way too long. Consequently, we ran out of time to visit the beach, which I really wanted to do. We ate at the café on the grounds. It took about an hour to get our lunch. My sandwich, which had bacon on it was so salty I was tasting it the rest of the day. They said they weren't expecting to get so many at lunch but they should have been more prepared for a Friday. I think there was only one cook. We were there for 1.5 hours, making us late for our next destination....should have gotten fast food.