Lee Hall Mansion

Lee Hall is an interesting historic house museum Built in 1859, on the eve of the Civil War, it is Italianate in style on the outside, but has a Georgian interior floor plan. When built it was the most prominent house in Warwick County. It was used as aConfederate headquarters in April-May 1862.The basement contains an extensive exhibit on the 1862 Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War. The two furnished floors above are shown on the guided tour. Furnishings are arranged as they might have been in 1861. The bedrooms contain modern-looking closets. Our guide did his best to dispel the oft-repeated story that closets were taxed as though they were rooms (and that is why closets were uncommon). Lee Hall's bedrooms had them. The grounds contain a two-story brick outbuilding identified as the kitchen. It is not open and little was related about it or its configuration and use. Also on the grounds are the remains of Confederate earthworks. Troops camped one the property used it as a base to launch an observation balloon. After 1862, the Civil War largely bypassed the area and the house survived. The house was occupied into the late 20th century and divided into apartments for a time. The city of Newport News acquired it in 1996 and restored it. Definitely recommended for historic house enthusiasts.

A cute little historical house, not of a famous person, but it was nice to learn about the history of one local individual. Downstairs there are 2 rooms with a timeline of the Civil War, specifically the Peninsula Campaign, and some artifacts, and the rest of the rooms are dedicated to the house furnishings and information about the founder of the house and subsequent owners.There are signs outside about the property including information outside a kitchen that is not open to the public. It sounded like they'd like to recreate someday, but they aren't there yet. It isn't as lavish as other houses, but I think it's a work in progress. It was an interesting stop to learn something new. Plenty of parking and little gift shop.

The Summer Celebration Wine Festival is a great event for about $20. Open 1100-1800, 11 June 2016. We'll be back next year too.

Nce bit of local history. Not spectacular, tour. I expected more but I was informed it's still a work in progress. Nice house and grounds I wish the old kitchen building had not been turned into an office The docents are great they are friendly and happy and even though it's not busy they seem happy with their jobs.

Very cute little home with some neat pieces and somewhat authentic setting to the best of my non expert knowledge. I've been running on the grounds here numerous times but have failed to actually explore the mansion itself until today when I went for the wine festival which was free admission with the ticket at the door.The mansion has a old feel and smell to it, but not in a bad way. The decorations look so delicate and out of the numerous historic places I've been to on the Peninsula its probably the nicest. There are multiple rooms like a a dining hall, bedrooms, a piano room and narrow staircases. I'm pretty sure my experience on another day would be a bit more educational but today was a bit rushed due to the large amount of people exploring the quarters. They have docents-tourguids who answer questions and seem to be in a generally happy mood. My favorite spot was the piano room and the bedroom with a beautiful satin bonnet. Overall, I would love to come back here and really have a nice tour on a less crowded day to soak up the history a bit. I drive by this place constantly and must admit its pretty cool during the summertime when the sunsets because you can hear and see bats flying about the mansion. Also, during the fall season me and my roomie pick walnuts from the mansion grounds!Now, since there isn't really a spot for the Wine festival I'll give a brief review. The wine festival is yearly and they have local wineries from VA. For 25 bucks the entrance is not really expensive and you get a nice serving of wines-definitely over 50 samples even if they are pretty small servings. Most of the vendors were very nice and my favorite was the Bryd winery. There were two food stations-the Fish Tale and another concession stand. Both had a fair amount of good food. Lots of people brought picnics setups and just sat back and chilled. The event overall was pretty nice I just wish the tastings were more organized like other alcohol based festivals. The tasting lines seemed like a free for all which was super uncomfortable and made for a long wait.Overall, I'm not sure I would go to this festival but will definitely try others.

The house is a well maintained, if slightly less funded than should be, property located just off the freeway. It is an easy stop and worth it for those traveling near. I don't know that I would go out of my way, but the property has some link to the Civil War for buffs out there. The tour is about 30 minutes and $7 per adult. If you love historical homes, go for it! Most of the information given about the home owners and history is readily available online as well.

Not as interesting as I hoped... Not much history behind.. Tour was short and museum was tiny... End view plantation was wayy better !!

A combination ticket is available, with the Virginia War Museum and Endview Plantation. Be aware that there was (is?) only one person running the gift shop, so when that person is giving tours, you have to wait until the finish the tour - and then you can go inside the gift shop. I was on a trip to the general area to try to enjoy the Fourth. The tour guide was one of just two things that made the two day trip bearable. She obviously adores the house, and enjoys what she does.