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. It was the last home of Mary Ball Washington, who was the mother of George Washington, America's first president.
Today, the house is a museum. It shows what an 18th-century home looked like. You can see furniture from that time and some of Mary Washington's own things. This includes her favorite mirror, which she called her "best dressing glass." The Washington Heritage Museums group takes care of this house and other historical sites in Fredericksburg.
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The Story of Mary Washington's Home
George Washington bought this house for his mother in 1772. He paid 275 pounds for it. Mary Ball Washington lived here for the last years of her life. The house is on the corner of Charles and Lewis Street.
It was very convenient for her. Her daughter, Betty Washington Lewis, lived nearby at Kenmore Plantation. Her younger son, Charles Washington, also had a home in town.
In 1780, Charles Washington moved away. His town home on the 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.
George Washington's Visits
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 people also stopped by to visit Mary Washington. They wanted to show their respect. Some of these famous visitors included John Marshall, George Mason, and Thomas Jefferson. Even the French hero Marquis de Lafayette visited her. Members of the Lee family also came to see her.
Mary Washington lived in this house until she passed away later in 1789.
Visiting the Mary Washington House Today
The Mary Washington House is located close to the University of Mary Washington. This college is named after her!
When you visit the museum, you can explore different parts of the house. On the first floor, you can see Mary's bedroom and a parlor room. This parlor was added to the house later.
Upstairs, on the second floor, there are two more bedrooms. There's also a small room that tells the story of how the house was saved.
You can also take a walk through the gardens. There's a kitchen building that was built in 1804. This was after Mary Washington had passed away. You can look at other replica buildings too. These include a wellhouse and a copy of what the original 18th-century kitchen might have looked like. The real kitchen would have been in a slightly different spot.
The Mary Washington House also has a gift shop. This shop is thought to have been a dining room in the late 1700s. At that time, the house was used as a school for boys.
Saving the Mary Washington House
In 1891, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) bought the house. It was going to be taken apart and moved to the Chicago World's Fair for display. The APVA saved it from being moved. This was only the second property they ever acquired.
The house was then restored to look like it did in Mary Washington's time. After the restoration, it was opened for public tours. The APVA even found 8 original items that belonged to the house. One of these was Mary Washington's "best dressing glass" mirror.
Later, the APVA became known as Preservation Virginia. In 2013, they signed an agreement to give ownership of the house to the Washington Heritage Museums group. This group is based in Fredericksburg. The Mary Washington House is a very important landmark in the city.
