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Selina Gray

1823–1907

United States

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Biography

Selina Norris Gray (December 1823 – 1907) was an African American woman known for saving some of George Washington's heirlooms when Union soldiers seized and occupied Arlington House, the home of Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee on May 24, 1861. When Lee and his wife fled Arlington House, Gray was given the keys to the mansion and responsibility for the main house. The house had heirlooms from George Washington—china, furniture, and art work—because Mary Anna Custis Lee was the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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