Selina Gray

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. Gray noticed that some items were missing. She was married to Thornton Gray around 1847 and the couple had eight children—Emma, Annice, Florence, Sarah, Ada, Selina, John and Harry—who were all born into slavery.

Her family continued to live at Arlington House for several years. She and her family bought a 10-acre property in Green Valley, where they grew and sold vegetables and lived the rest of their lives. She died in 1907. One of her sons, Harry, became a skilled mason and worked with the Department of the Interior. It is the only existing image of an identified enslaved person owned by the Custis and Lee family.