Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 10/06/1970
NRHP Listing Date 12/18/1970
NRHP Reference Number 70000793
Richard Bland Lee, younger brother of “Light-Horse Harry” Lee and uncle of Robert E. Lee, had the rambling western Fairfax County farmhouse of Sully built in 1794, and added its east wing in 1799. Lee was a founder of the Phi Beta Kappa fraternity and served as the first U.S. congressman from northern Virginia. Although not a formal mansion, the fine quality of Sully’s woodwork demonstrates the attention that was often given to less pretentious Virginia houses. Adding visual interest is the inviting piazza with its scalloped eaves. Adjacent to the house are a stone dairy, a smokehouse, and a kitchen/laundry. The latter displays a rare use of galletting (small stones inserted in the mortar joints for decoration). Sully was threatened with destruction when Dulles International Airport was built nearby. Spared through a special act of Congress, Sully then served as a museum exhibited by the Fairfax County Park Authority.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: March 8, 2023
