Constructed in 1795 by John Potts, a business acquaintance of George Washington, this gracious Federal town house soon became the residence of William Fitzhugh, a close friend of Washington. In 1812 Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, a friend of Washington and father of Robert E. Lee, rented the house from the Fitzhughs, who were relatives of Henry Lee's second wife, Ann Hill Carter. Robert E. Lee lived here until 1825, when he left to become a cadet at West Point Military Academy.