Dabbs House was built in the 1820’s and only had two rooms at first.  In 1859, when Josiah and Mary Dabbs moved in, the place was called High Meadow.  Only a few years later, in the winter of 1862, Josiah died of an illness and his wife decided to move into the city of Richmond for safety during the Civil War. That summer, General Robert E. Lee asked Mrs. Dabbs if he could use her home for his headquarters. He moved in on June 1, 1862, and on June 23 he held an important meeting with his generals to plan a strategy for defending Richmond from the advancing Union troops.  The result of this meeting was the Seven Days' Battle.  Since that time, the Dabbs house has served as a shelter for poor people, a rental home, an office building, and the Henrico Police Headquarters. Now it is a museum and tourist information center for Henrico County. (Trouble viewing the YouTube video? Try Vimeo or direct link).