Archive for March, 2011

Martha may have worn the apron in the Washington family, but so too did George, although not in the kitchenly manner that we think of today.

Washington was a member of the Freemasons, a fraternal organization that existed then and now. For the first time in more than 200 years, one of Washington’s Masonic aprons, which were customarily worn at lodge meetings, has returned to Mount Vernon, where it is on display through May 19.

The apron is on loan from Mt. Nebo Lodge #91 in Shepherdstown, W.Va., which has been in possession of the apron since before 1820.

This apron, which was made in France, is believed to have been presented to George Washington at Mount Vernon in 1784 by the Marquis de Lafayette, the former general and close friend of Washington who was also a Freemason.

The apron features the square and compasses symbol associated with the Freemasons as well as the crossed flags of the United States and France, all embroidered in silk and gold- and silver-wrapped threads with metallic sequins.

After Martha Washington’s death in 1802, the apron is believed to have been purchased for six dollars from her estate by Thomas Hammond, husband of George Washington’s niece, and then given to Mt. Nebo Lodge prior to his death. In 1844, it was displayed at an anniversary celebration at the Jefferson County courthouse in nearby Charles Town. It was also worn by the Masonic Grand Master at the cornerstone ceremony of the Washington Monument on July 4, 1848.

The apron is on display in the Donald W. Reynolds Education Center, in the Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation Gallery.

UPDATE: The apron is no longer on display.

Object Spotlight is a regular feature on George Washington Wired that highlights some of the household belongings that Washington came into contact with in his daily life. For more of Washington’s belongings, see Mount Vernon’s eMuseum.

Courtesy of Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 91, Shepherdstown, West Virginia

The storied histories of Mount Vernon and its most famous resident, George Washington, from the Revolutionary War period are well known, but visitors with a taste for other eras in America’s past are now in for a historical treat of another flavor: Mount Vernon’s Civil War Walking Tour.

George Washington was of course long-deceased by the time the war’s first shots were fired, but his mansion remained. Whether it could withstand the destructive forces of the Union and Confederate troops who fought in its vicinity was a question that was unclear, however.

Today, visitors who take the tour, which will be offered for the first time beginning April 2, learn about Mount Vernon’s near escapes during the war, its early caretakers, and the women who set out to preserve it in the first place.

“We always loved this information and would have liked to have done it before, but it never took off, I think for good reason, because we’re here to talk about George Washington,” said Gail Cassidy, manager of historic interpretation at Mount Vernon.

The 150^th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, however, has provided Mount Vernon with a window of opportunity to share these lesser-known stories with the public.

Guests will hear about Sarah Tracey, the female caretaker of Mount Vernon who gained assurances from every Union general that troops would not attack or destroy the estate, running brigades and accomplishing a number of daring feats along the way. Visitors learn of President Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Mount Vernon during the war (although it may have only been his family and friends who got out of the boat that they arrived on). And guests will also learn about the changing roles that African Americans played at the estate as the war continued.

Records show that Union and Confederate soldiers visited the estate during the turbulent era. Both claimed Washington as their own; the Union felt that the founder of the nation, which they were fighting to hold together, was rightfully theirs, and the Confederacy asserted that Washington’s status as a Virginian made him a man of the South.

Thanks to the astounding characters who stayed at Mount Vernon throughout the war, the estate remained neutral territory.

The one-hour walking tour takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. through October 30. These special tours are limited in capacity and cost $5 in addition to estate admission.

Boston, its environs and harbor, 1775. (Courtesy of Library of Congress)

From the Library of Congress’s Today in History webpage:

“On March 24, 1776, one week after the British troops under General William Howe evacuated Boston, General George Washington wrote a letter to the Continental Congress. General Washington expressed his ‘surprize and disappointment’ that the British fleet had not departed the harbor and described its various exploits while still in the region.

“The Continental Army had besieged the British-held city since the battles at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. The siege ended after General Washington seized Dorchester Heights and trained cannon on the city and the harbor.

“In his letter of March 24, General Washington explained the precautions he had taken:

‘As soon as the Town was abandoned by the Enemy, I judged it advisable to secure the several heights, least they should attempt to return, and for this purpose have caused a large and strong work to be thrown up on Fort Hill, a post of great importance, as it commands the whole Harbour and when fortified, If properly supported, will greatly annoy any Fleet the Enemy may send against the Town, and render the Landing of their Troops exceedingly difficult, If not Impracticable.’“

Today cars speed past a bronze, equestrian statue of George Washington, depicted as commander in chief of the Continental Army, that stands in the middle of Washington Circle in D.C.’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood.

The statue, which was made by sculptor Clark Mills and was dedicated in 1860, stands in the middle of the city’s first traffic circle, which was laid out, enclosed and planted with lawn, shrubs and trees in 1856.

Streetcar tracks were laid around the circle in 1862, but were soon neglected during the Civil War. The park has undergone a number of improvements and redesigns throughout the years, such as the 1961-1962 addition of the K Street underpass.

The circle is located near the George Washington University campus, metro stop and hospital, where 23rd Street, K Street and New Hampshire Avenue intersect.

“Washington’s D.C.” is a new blog series that explores George Washington landmarks in and around the Federal City, which we know today as Washington, D.C.