Tudor Place facts for kids
|
Tudor Place
|
|
.jpg)
South façade.
|
|
 Location in Washington, D.C.
|
|
| Location | 1644 31st Street, NW Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Area | 5.5 acres |
| Built | 1815 |
| Architect | Dr. William Thornton |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000871 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
Tudor Place is a beautiful old house, called a Federal-style mansion, located in Washington, D.C.. It was once the home of Thomas Peter and his wife, Martha Parke Custis Peter. Martha was the granddaughter of Martha Washington, who was the wife of America's first president, George Washington!
The house sits on a large piece of land in Georgetown Heights. From here, the family had an amazing view of the Potomac River.
The Story of Tudor Place
How Tudor Place Was Built
The land where Tudor Place stands was originally part of a larger area called "Rock of Dumbarton." In 1794, a man named Francis Lowndes bought some of this land. He was a merchant and started building two parts, or "wings," of the house we see today.
Lowndes never finished the house. Instead, he sold the property to Martha and Thomas Peter. The Peters hired Dr. William Thornton to design the rest of their home. Dr. Thornton was a famous architect who also designed the United States Capitol building!
Thornton connected the two existing wings with a central structure. He used buff-colored stucco (a type of plaster) over brick. He also added a grand "temple" porch with columns at the front, making the house look very impressive.
Treasures Inside the Home
Tudor Place is not just a house; it's like a museum filled with history. The house and its gardens hold many interesting items. A special part of the collection includes objects that belonged to George and Martha Washington.
This makes Tudor Place the largest collection of items from the first Presidential family, besides Mount Vernon (George Washington's home). You can see things like chair cushions embroidered by Martha Washington herself!
Life and People at Tudor Place
Many people lived and worked at Tudor Place throughout its history. This included enslaved workers and domestic servants. Martha Parke Custis Peter inherited 90 enslaved people from her grandmother, Martha Washington. Tudor Place today helps us understand this difficult part of history.
Important Visitors and Family Events
Tudor Place saw many important visitors and family moments.
A Mother's Last Days
On September 28, 1811, Martha Peter's mother, Eleanor Calvert, passed away at Tudor Place. Eleanor was a well-known member of the Calvert family and Martha Washington's daughter-in-law. Martha Peter wrote about how important it was to be with her mother during her final weeks at Tudor Place.
General Washington's Gorget
In March 1813, a U.S. educator named Josiah Quincy III visited Tudor Place. Martha Peter gave him a special gift: General George Washington's silver gorget. A gorget was a metal collar worn to protect a soldier's throat. This gorget was even shown in a famous painting of Washington!
Martha Peter had received the gorget when her grandfather's belongings were divided. Quincy later gave this important item to a society in Boston that honored Washington.
Other Notable Guests
Other important people also visited Tudor Place. For example, Timothy Pickering, a former U.S. Secretary of State, visited the Peters in 1815 and 1816.
The Marquis de Lafayette's Visit
In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette, a French hero who helped America win its independence, visited the United States. He was hosted by the Peter family at Tudor Place during his tour.
A Replica Home
Thomas and Martha Peter raised eight children in their beautiful home. Their eldest son, John Parke Custis Peter, later built a smaller version of Tudor Place. He called his new home Montevideo, and it was built between 1828 and 1830 in Seneca, Maryland.
Later Owners and Recognition
After Martha Peter passed away in 1854, her daughter Britannia Peter Kennon became the next owner. Britannia was the widow of Commodore Beverley Kennon I.
Around 1869, Robert E. Lee, a famous general from the American Civil War, made his last visit to Washington, D.C., at Tudor Place. The house continued to be passed down through the family.
In 1960, Tudor Place was recognized as a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important place in American history. Today, Tudor Place is located at 1644 31st Street, N.W., and is open for people to visit and learn about its past.
Images for kids
-
Library of Congress 1999 Historic American Buildings Survey No. DC 171 Architectural Drawing of the South Elevation of Tudor Place at 1:48 scale.
-
Library of Congress 1999 Historic American Buildings Survey No. DC 171 Architectural Drawing of the Ground floor plan of Tudor Place at 1:48 scale.
-
Library of Congress 1999 Historic American Buildings Survey No. DC 171 Architectural Drawing of the garden plan and tree schedule at 1:300 scale.
-
This elevation of the Temple Portico of Tudor Place is from a laser scan project conducted by nonprofit CyArk. The circular Temple Portico that extends into the space of the Saloon is a prominent architectural feature of the house.
-
Image of Tudor Place from the South, point cloud data from a Laser scan project conducted by nonprofit CyArk.
-
Cutaway image of Tudor Place central interior, point cloud data from a Laser scan project conducted by nonprofit CyArk.
-
Pre-1874 engraving of Tudor Place.
-
A 1772 portrait of Colonel George Washington by Charles Willson Peale shows Washington's gorget, given to Josiah Quincy III in March 1813 by Martha Parke Custis Peter at Tudor Place.
-
North façade.
-
Carriage House.
See also
- Architecture of Washington, D.C.
