This study investigated a former plantation site, Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial (former confederate general), located in the current-day Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. The National Park Service (NPS) has managed this site since 1933. The house and site are named after R. E. Lee though the structures were built and maintained throughout much of its pre-NPS history by enslaved peoples. Arlington House is a cultural and historical heritage site that has a layered and complex history with multiple narratives of place. On-site interpretation at Arlington House (e.g., information placards, ranger interactions) has shifted recently from interpreting solely the story of Lee to include also interpreting the lives of the formerly enslaved peoples. This 5-chapter thesis used three different methodologies to better understand the site. The first chapter outlines the context of the site and the program of research. Chapter two delves into understanding how this shift in interpretation has been received by the descendants of the enslaved Africans, via two focus groups conducted in summer 2023. Chapter three details an administered on-site visitor survey (n=263) in fall 2023 on visitor heritage identities, expectations, and experiences. Chapter four covers interviews with interpretative rangers at the plantation site in winter 2023/2024 to better understand how they relay the stories of those who were enslaved. These findings are relayed through the concept Black Abstraction which depicts Black people in an abstract context by removing their humanity and feelings of empathy. The final chapter, chapter 5, reviews main findings from each paper and details contributions to theory and managerial recommendations.
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