The Potts-Fitzhugh House in Old Town Alexandria is for sale for $5,995,000. The listing for the six-bedroom, five-bathroom, 8,000-square-foot mansion includes a thorough description of the place, but omits a key fact: It was the childhood home of Robert E. Lee.
That detail was on full display the last time the house was on the market, in 2019 (the current owner only bought it about a year ago, in July of 2020). It’s understandable why the listing agent might not be too eager to advertise the mansion’s past. Regardless, it’s not tough to find. A quick Google-search of the address brings up a Library of Congress page that includes its history as the one-time home of the Confederate general. The seller’s agent, Lauren Bishop of McEnearney Associates, did not return requests for comment.
Ignoring its unfortunate former resident, the property itself is stunning, thanks to some serious renovations and restorations. Featuring a fireplace in nearly every room, the house sits on a half-acre, double lot in the heart of Old Town.
Jane is a Chicago transplant who now calls Cleveland Park her home. Before joining Washingtonian, she wrote for Smithsonian Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and opera.
