Arlington House is the nation’s memorial to Robert E. Lee. It honors him for specific reasons, including his role in promoting peace and reunion after the Civil War. In a larger sense, it is a place of study and contemplation of some of the most difficult aspects of American history, such as military service; sacrifice; citizenship; duty; loyalty; slavery, and freedom. The National Park Service (NPS) is rehabilitating the site and improving interpretation both inside the mansion and on the grounds.
Scope
106 Group collaborated with the NPS team to develop 16 waysides to provide information about the site’s natural resources and cultural history, as well as the preservation activities that have saved site resources. Our work included site analysis, project management, research, writing, graphics creation (maps, illustrations, and digital graphics), graphic management, design layout, and production coordination.
Outcome
The wayside panels combine new illustrations, custom graphics, and bronze tactile elements with historical and contemporary images of site resources and the people who once lived on the Custis-Lee plantation. Park visitors now have the opportunity to learn how this site has been used over time as a home, military post, and national cemetery.
Arlington House: Telling a Wider Story at a Historic Site
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial is a place of study and contemplation of some of the most difficult aspects of American history, including military service; sacrifice; citizenship; duty; loyalty; slavery, and freedom. New interpretative exhibits provide a more complex view of the historic site.
To learn more about this project, check out our case study.
