Selina Gray's Keys
The law counted her as property. She told the Army what not to touch.
Listen to this place’s story in Peplos.
How the story begins
The keys to Arlington House went to a woman the law treated as property. When Mary Lee left on May 15, 1861, she handed them to Selina Gray, the enslaved housekeeper and her personal maid. Selina and her husband, Thornton, had eight children, and they lived in one room of the south slave quarters, behind the big house. The big house held heirlooms of George and Martha Washington.
The rest is in the app. Peplos plays the full story when you reach the place. You can also listen ahead of time.
Visiting
South quarters behind Arlington House, inside Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. Reached on foot through the cemetery. Check the park's alerts page or call 703 235 1530 for current hours.
Sources
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