Mary Ball Washington House facts for kids
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Mary Washington House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Mary Washington House, February 2022
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1200 Charles St., Fredericksburg, Virginia |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Part of | Fredericksburg Historic District (ID71001053) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75002111 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 05, 1975 |
| Designated CP | September 22, 1971 |
The Mary Washington House is a special historic home located at 1200 Charles Street in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This house was where Mary Ball Washington, the mother of America's first president, George Washington, lived during her later years. Today, it is a historic house museum. It shows what a home looked like in the 1700s. You can see furniture and even some of Mary Washington's personal items, like her favorite mirror. This museum is one of several in Fredericksburg managed by Washington Heritage Museums.
History of the Mary Washington House
George Washington bought this house for his mother in 1772. He paid 275 pounds for it. Mary Ball Washington spent her last years in this white house. It is on the corner of Charles and Lewis Street in Fredericksburg. The house was close to her daughter Elizabeth's home, Kenmore Plantation. It was also near a town home owned by her younger son, Charles Washington.
In 1780, Charles moved away from Fredericksburg. The house he owned, which was on the town's main street, became a tavern. Today, that building is known as the Rising Sun Tavern. It is also a museum run by the Washington Heritage Museums group.
George Washington often visited his mother at this house. In April 1789, he came here to receive his mother's blessing. This was just before he became the first president of the United States. Many important visitors to Fredericksburg would stop by to see Mrs. Washington. These guests included John Marshall, George Mason, Thomas Jefferson, and Marquis de Lafayette. Mary Washington lived in this home until she passed away later in 1789.
The Mary Washington House is close to the University of Mary Washington. This college is named in her honor.
Today, the house is a museum open to visitors. On the first floor, you can see Mary's bedroom. There is also a parlor room that was added later. The second floor has two more bedrooms. It also has a small room about how the house was saved. You can take a self-guided tour of the gardens. There is a kitchen building from 1804, built after Mary's death. You can also see replica buildings like a wellhouse. There is also a copy of what the original 18th-century kitchen might have looked like. Visitors can also go into the Mary Washington House Gift Shop. This shop is thought to have been a dining room. It was part of a boys' school that used the house in the late 1700s.
Saving the Historic House
In 1891, a group called the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities bought the house. The house was going to be taken apart and moved. It was planned to be displayed at the Chicago World's Fair. This was the second property the group ever bought. They worked to restore the house. After the restoration, it was opened to the public for tours.
The APVA found eight items that originally belonged in the house. One of these was the mirror Mary Washington called her "best dressing glass." Later, the APVA became known as Preservation Virginia. This organization made an agreement with a new group. The new group was called "Washington Heritage Museums." By 2013, ownership of the house was given to the Washington Heritage Museums. This house is a very important landmark in Fredericksburg.
