Childhood home of Robert E. Lee listed at $8.5M

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The boyhood home of Confederate general Robert E. Lee has spent stints as a high-society gathering place, museum and most recently, private family home — and it’s now up for sale.

The Washington Post reports owners Mark and Ann Kington want the next owners of the house in Alexandria, Virginia, to be stewards of its past.

The home, listed at $8.5 million, was built in 1796, and soon sold to a plantation owner who entertained George Washington. Lee’s father rented it in 1812, and for eight decades, Lee family members lived there.

The home changed hands thrice in the 20th century, from a Bureau of Mines chief to a Pulitzer Prize-winner to the Stonewall Jackson Foundation, which opened it to the public. The Kingtons bought the home in 2000 and renovated it.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com