Selina Gray
Selina Gray, the daughter of Leonard and Sallie Norris, was a second generation Arlington slave. For a number of years, Selina was the personal maid of Mrs. Robert E. Lee. By 1861, Salina had become the head housekeeper at Arlington. When Mrs. Lee abandoned her home in mid-May 1861, she left the household keys, symbolizing authority, responsibility and her trust in Selina Gray. Locked away inside Arlington were many of the "Washington treasures." These pieces were cherished family heirlooms that had once belonged to Mrs. Lee's great-grandmother, Martha Custis Washington and President George Washington.
The U.S. Army assumed control of Arlington on May 24, 1861. Later U.S. Army officers occupied the house and looting began. When Selina discovered some of the treasures had been stolen, she confronted the soldiers and ordered them "never to touch any of Miss Mary's things." Selina alerted General Irvin McDowell, commander of the Union troops, to the importance of the Washington heirlooms. The remaining pieces were sent to the Patent Office for safe-keeping. Through Selina's efforts, many of the Washington pieces were saved for posterity.
The Grays received their freedom in 1862 as specified in the 1857 will of George Washington Park Custis, Mrs. Lee's father. Eventually, the Gray family left Arlington to live in nearby "Green Valley." Gray descendants still live in Arlington County, Virginia.
At the time of the Civil War, the south slave quarters served as the home of the Gray family. Thorton and Selina Norris Gray lived here with their eight children: Emma, Annice, Florence, Sarah, Ada, Selina, John and Harry. Most of the Grays worked as house slaves. During the years at Arlington, the Grays occupied the room at the west end of the quarters. Some of the Gray children slept in a small loft above the main room.
Years later, in the 1920s, two of the Gray daughters returned to Arlington House to assist the War Department with the restoration of the house. Emma and Sarah Gray provided historical details about the slaves quarters and the main house that proved invaluable to the restoration. According to Emma and Sarah Gray, the rest of the south slave quarters consisted of a smoke house and storerooms. To assist with restoration of the mansion's interior, they also made available several original furnishings from Arlington that there mother had received from Mrs. Lee. Plans are underway to completely restore the slave quarters. The National Park Service will undertake a Historic Structures Research project document architectural features and changes to this building over time. This report, combined with the oral history interviews conducted with former Arlington slaves in the 1920s, will lead to a more accurate restoration of the quarters.
[Photo captions:] Thorton Gray. Emma Gray Syphax. Sarah Gray Wilson. Northeastern View of South Slave Quarters.
Courtesy hmdb.org
