Brompton (Marye House)

John Lawrence Marye built Brompton in 1838, atop heights overlooking Fredericksburg. The town sits about four hundred yards below. During the Battle of Fredericksburg, those heights — known as Marye's Heights — became a Confederate stronghold. Union forces assaulted the slope repeatedly; Confederate General James Longstreet maintained his headquarters at Brompton throughout. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in July 1979.

Today Brompton serves as the residence of the President of the University of Mary Washington. The view from the heights is unchanged: the same slope, the same distance to town. What was a headquarters during the battle is now a university house, still standing where the high ground mattered most.