As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, 91欧美激情 presents 鈥�250 Years of America,鈥� a multipart series examining the innovations, breakthroughs, and pivotal moments that have shaped the nation since 1778.
聽is proud to partner with 91欧美激情 to bring you this series.
Tucked away in the heart of Georgetown stands a home steeped in nearly two centuries of U.S. history.
Tudor Place was the ancestral home of Martha Peter, the granddaughter of America鈥檚 inaugural first lady Martha Washington. Martha Peter was married to Thomas Peter and their descendants lived in Tudor Place until 1983. They were stewards of a remarkable collection of Washington family artifacts and heirlooms. The historic estate, a model of federal-period architecture set on five-and-a-half acres, became a museum in 1988. The stories preserved here span six generations of one family.
Now for the first time, visitors can see rare treasures tied to the Washington legacy, including art, fine china, furniture, soap, a piece of Martha鈥檚 wedding dress and locks of George鈥檚 hair. Many of these items have been too fragile or too small to display to the public, but were brought out of the vault to celebrate America鈥檚 250th anniversary.
鈥淵ou start to understand how objects have a value that goes beyond monetary value,鈥� said curator Rob DeHart. 鈥淔or these objects, there was a societal and a cultural value.鈥�
The special exhibit, called 鈥淔ounding Fortunes,鈥� is about the 1802 estate sale of Martha Washington. In her will, she designated that anything not bequeathed to family members be sold to fund the education of her nephews. The estate sale was held at Mount Vernon a few months after she died.
鈥淎s you can imagine, it was one of the estate sales of the century,鈥� said DeHart. 鈥淭here’s always been so much interest in the worldly belongings of America’s most famous first family, George and Martha Washington.鈥�
Martha and Thomas Peter were big spenders at the estate sale and brought the items they purchased from Mount Vernon to Tudor Place, where the collection was preserved and continued to grow.
鈥淕eorge Washington embodied the virtues of the early United States more than probably anybody,鈥� DeHart said. 鈥淪eeing these objects that were treasured by family members, that were touched by the Washingtons, used by them at Mount Vernon and at the presidential houses in Philadelphia [and] in New York City, it is very special. It feels [like you鈥檙e] very close to history.鈥�
A very rare artifact now on display is one of the camp stools that George used during the Revolutionary War.
鈥淭homas Peter bought six of these at the estate sale for $1.50,鈥� DeHart said. 鈥淭here’s only two known left to exist 鈥� one here and there’s one at the Smithsonian.鈥�
Very little correspondence between George and Martha Washington exists. DeHart said she burned all their letters so no one else could read them. However, Martha did not realize that two letters had fallen under a drawer in her desk. The museum displays a facsimile of one of those letters and will bring out the original for special events this year.
鈥淭he letter was very significant because it was written on June 18, 1775. And in that letter, George is telling Martha that he’s just been asked to command the Continental Army, and he’s accepted that command,鈥� DeHart said.
A theme throughout the exhibit is how deeply the early United States was tied to the institution of slavery and how generational wealth was created. Mount Vernon鈥檚 enslaved community was divided among Washington’s four grandchildren and about 48 people came to Tudor Place. The museum has worked to trace and preserve their stories through oral history and DNA evidence. One woman, Hannah Cole Pope, continued working at Tudor Place after gaining her freedom.
鈥淪he and her husband, Alfred Pope, were very prominent members of the Georgetown Black community and their children were teachers,鈥� DeHart said. 鈥淭hey were civil rights activists, and we work with their descendants today to even create this exhibit.鈥�
鈥淔ounding Fortunes鈥� is open through the end of the year. You can reserve a spot on .
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