The historic Tudor Place museum in Georgetown has preserved the material legacy of six generations of Martha Washington’s descendants. This includes items and history of the enslaved and free people who lived and labored with them as well.
To commemorate American 250, the museum is unveiling a new exhibit, Founding Fortunes: The Estate Sale of Martha Washington, on February 11. It will feature more than 60 objects with Washington family or Mount Vernon provenance.
The exhibition explores the historic 1802 public sale of Martha Washington’s household contents at Mount Vernon. The sale netted $3,735 to help pay educational expenses for Martha Washington’s nephews. Most buyers were white men, but a document uncovered in the Tudor Place archives revealed that some purchasers were enslaved women and men.
Many of the exhibit’s pieces were purchased by Martha Washington’s granddaughter, Martha Custis Peter, and her husband, Thomas Peter. They have been preserved at Tudor Place for more than two centuries. Several will be on public view for the first time.
Objects include furniture, textiles, ceramics, and household goods. The exhibit explores how these items consumer items conveyed power and status.
Timed entry tickets are required. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, seniors, and members of the military. Children age 5 and under are free. 1644 31st St. NW, Washington, DC
Feature image courtesy Tudor Place
