Mary Washington House

Mary-Washington-House-WWP

Photo credit - WWP team

In this historic house lived during her last years, Mary Ball Washington, the mother of George Washington, the first president of the USA, who bought the house for her so she could live close to her daughter, Betty Washington Lewis.

Many celebrities came to pay their respect and visited the house, in addition to George Washington’s visits, who also came to get her blessing before his inauguration in 1789. Mary Washington passed away from breast cancer a few months after. Her grave is located half a mile from the house.

The house was saved from destruction in 1890 by a group of women from the Association for the Preservation of Virginia and opened to the public as a museum in 1903. A tour in the house will give a glimpse of the life in the 18th century, showcasing the original furniture, and Mary Washington’s personal possessions, such as her ceramic collection and the mirror which she called the “best dressing glass.” Do not miss a visit to the beautiful garden.

Open daily besides Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year Eve.

Storefront Stories of Fredericksburg: Mary Washington House

The mother of the 'Father of Our Country' lived her final years in a modest home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This video provides insights into the life of Mary Ball Washington and invites the viewer to visit her home at 1200 Charles Street.

Share:

This post is also available in:
Español

Official Website



Watch and Learn More

 

We hope you enjoyed this article.
Please support us so we can write about more landmarks of pioneer women.
 
Donate

We hope you enjoyed this article.
Please support us so we can write about more landmarks of pioneer women.
 
Donate

Address

1200 Charles St, Fredericksburg, VA



Storefront Stories of Fredericksburg: Mary Washington House

The mother of the 'Father of Our Country' lived her final years in a modest home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This video provides insights into the life of Mary Ball Washington and invites the viewer to visit her home at 1200 Charles Street.
Share:

This post is also available in: Español

Tags: Places in Virginia USA

Hidden

Next Steps: Sync an Email Add-On

To get the most out of your form, we suggest that you sync this form with an email add-on. To learn more about your email add-on options, visit the following page (https://www.gravityforms.com/the-8-best-email-plugins-for-wordpress-in-2020/). Important: Delete this tip before you publish the form.
Check out this fun, inspiring, and challenging activity about extraordinary women.
You'll also be subscribing to our monthly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime.

Shop & Support


Donate & Support
 
Our feminist project of wanderlust and equality-aspired community maps the HerStories of worldwide wonder women.
Explore the website for excellent guided tours, travel tips, unique landmarks, fun girlfriend getaways, events, and in-depth articles about gender, equality, space, and (not-told-enough) female legacy.

About the Project

 

Subscribe to
our Newsletter

Barbara Rose Johns Statue at Virginia Civil Rights Memorial WWP
Memorial & Statue

Barbara Rose Johns Statue at Virginia Civil Rights Memorial

Richmond, Virginia, USA

On Virginia state capitol grounds stands the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial, honoring people from the civil rights movement in Virginia who led and participated in the protests for school desegregation in the state. The Virginia government initiated the project to erect the memorial in 2005. They chose Stanley Bleifeld’s design and held the official unveiling ceremony on July 21st, 2008. The monument consists of 18 bronze statues mounted on the four sides of a white granite wall. Leading the group is Barbara Rose Johns, portrayed as she was 16 years old when she organized and led the student strike for equal education opportunities at Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville. After the protests, the students, with the NAACP’s legal support, filed the case Davis v. Prince Edward County, the only student-initiated case that eventually was consolidated into the Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring that school segregation was unconstitutional. Also portrayed in the memorial are Spottswood Robinson, Oliver Hill, and Reverend L. Francis Griffin. The following quotes are inscribed on the granite wall: “It seemed like reaching for the moon.” Barbara Rose Johns and “The legal system can force open doors and sometimes even knock down walls, but it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me.” Justice Thurgood Marshall. The nearby plaque describes the events. Also standing on Virginia state capitol grounds is the Virginia Women’s Monument celebrating the legacy of 12 Virginian women. Read more about it here. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Grace Sherwood the Witch of Pungo Statue WWP
Memorial & Statue

Grace Sherwood, the Witch of Pungo Statue

Virginia Beach, VA, USA

The statue of Grace White Sherwood, also known as the Witch of Pungo, honors her legacy as a healer and herbalist and commemorates her unfair treatment. Grace White Sherwood (1660-1740) was a farmer, healer, midwife, and mother of three who lived with her husband on a farm in Pungo (today, part of Virginia Beach), Virginia. Sherwood’s neighbors accused her several times of witchcraft, accusing her of many accusations, from casting a spell on their animals and cotton crops to transforming into a black cat; Sherwood had to defend herself in court and lost most of the cases. In 1706, she was already a widow and was taken to court on the accusation of bewitching her neighbor and causing her a miscarriage. The court investigated ways to prove she was a witch, searching her home and examining her body. When two “witch marks” were found on her body, the court ordered the ducking test to check her purity. She is a witch if she floats and innocent if she sinks. On the morning of July 10th, 1706, in Lynnhaven River near today Witchduck Road, in the presence of a large crowd, Sherwood was thrown into the river; she succeeded in untying herself and floating. She was sent to jail and spent there about eight years. Afterward, she claimed farm ownership and lived there until her death. There are many legends about her death; some say that her body disappeared through the chimney, that her devil took it, others that unnatural storms happened after she died, and many other stories. In 1973, Virginia Beach historian and author Louisa Venable Kyle wrote a children’s book about Sherwood, bringing Sherwood’s story back to the public attention. 300 years after her conviction, on July 10th, 2006, Governor Tim Kaine cleared her name with an informal pardon. About a year later, on April 21st, 2007, her statue by Robert Cunningham was dedicated at the junction of Independence Blvd and North Witchduck Road on the grounds of the Sentara Independence hospital. Sherwood is depicted as a healer holding a basket of rosemary and standing alongside a raccoon, representing her love of animals. Bronze plaques on the base tell her story, the story of the trial, and present a copy of the governor’s pardon letter. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Lucy-Burns-Museum-Exhibition-WWP
Museum

Lucy Burns Museum

Lorton, VA, USA

The Lucy Burns Museum located in one of the galleries in the Workhouse Arts Center, which was once was the historic Lorton Workhouse prison. The prison was active between 1910-2001, holding different types of prisoners. During 1917 the suffragists who were picketing in front of the White House were held there. Inside the museum, there are several exhibits about the prison history, the prisoners’ daily routine, and even the actual cells. The second half of the museum is dedicated to the US women’s suffrage journey to get the vote. Exhibitions review the history of the struggle from its early days with the first Seneca Falls convention in 1848, the famous march in DC in 1913, the night of terror in 1917, and more. Also, on display are the statues of three of the suffrage leaders: Lucy Burns, Alice Paul, and Dora Lewis. The museum is named after the suffragist Lucy Burns, who dedicated her life fighting for the right of the American women to vote. Burns was the co-founder of the National Woman’s Party (NWP), she spent the longest time in Occoquan jail, and was forced fed several times. Restoring Lorton Workhouse prison and converting it to a vibrant art center was the initiative of several community activists led by Irma Clifton, who fought to preserve and transform it into a cultural center. After visiting the Lucy Burns Museum and the galleries at the Workhouse Arts Center, pay a visit to the nearby Historic Occoquan offering antique stores, dining options, and a viewpoint of the Occoquan River. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Maggie L Walker National Historic Site WWP
Museum

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

Richmond, VA, USA

The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site is located inside what was once Walker’s home. It serves as a living memorial and commemorates the legacy of one of the most prominent women who lived in Richmond, Maggie L. Walker. Maggie Lena Walker was born in 1864; her mother, a former slave, raised Maggie by herself, and Maggie worked with her as a laundress. She became a teacher but had to leave after three years when she married Armstead Walker Jr. Maggie devoted herself to the local chapter of the Independent Order of St. Luke, where she has been volunteering since she was a teenager. The Order was an organization that worked to uplift African-Americans socially and financially. She worked in several leadership positions in the Order, establishing educational and community programs. In 1899, Walker was nominated the Order’s grand secretary and served in this position till her death. Among her many accomplishments as an entrepreneur, businesswoman, civil rights, and community leader were establishing the Order’s newspaper, St. Luke Herald (1902), and the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank (1903), becoming the first woman in the US to establish and chair a bank. Walker promoted schools for African-American girls and led several local organizations, including the National Association of Colored Women (NACW). In 1905, she and her family moved to a two-story Victorian Gothic brick rowhouse in the vibrant African American Jackson Ward neighborhood, where she lived until she passed away in 1934. Her only surviving son, Melvin, continued living in the house with his sister, wife, and daughter. A year later, he passed away, and his widow, Hattie NF Walker, continued living in the house and preserved many of the furniture and objects Maggie L. Walker collected over the years, intending to convert the house into a museum in the memory of her mother-in-law. Hattie passed away in 1974, and her daughter Maggie Laura Walker sold the house to the National Park Service in 1979. Walker’s house is the centerpiece of the national park, which includes six buildings. The house was restored to its 1930’s appearance. On display are the original furniture, books, photographs, diplomas, and many personal items of the Walker family. A visit to the house begins at the Visitor Center – 600 N. 2nd St. with a viewing of a 20-minute orientation film, “Carry On.” There are daily guided tours. A few blocks away stands the Maggie Lena Walker Memorial Plaza; in its center stands a 10-foot-tall statue of Walker overlooking the beautiful streets of Richmond. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
View all

 

*Disclaimer: Please be aware that the information on this page is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. Learn more here.