So im delighted to welcome our guest here today to is going to talk about some themes that are very similar in our exhibit. Exhibit from another that has a collection of George Washingtons items. It ties in very well to our collection so im delighted to introduce the curator at tutor place castle and garden. Prior to coming to tutor place, he was the assistant curator of collections at the James Madison mike kelly or and worked for nearly nine years on the mansion interiors Initiative Team to research and furnish the Market Leader mansion following is architectural restoration. Prior to his arrival, he was the staff archaeologist at james monroe long silent. Long island. He has a master of arts in anthropology with a concentration in historical archaeology from the university of south carolina. Please welcome him. Good afternoon. I want to thank heidi and 84 katie for their invitation to speak today. My talk directly relates to this exhibition as im focusing on how members of the peter family of tudor place commemorated the revolution and their familial connections to george and marcia washington. At the end of my talk, i will briefly discuss longtime tudor place resident memberships in the dar. I want to do highlight some of the documents from our archives. Tudor place located in the georgetown neighborhood is the home of the peter family from 1805 until 1983. The house designed by William Thorton and featuring its iconic temple was completed in 1816. Before us are discussing the objects found, i want to highlight the families connection to george and Martha Washington. Martha and thomas were the original owners of tutor place. Martha was Martha Washingtons granddaughter, one of the four children of john custis. 10 yrs before, martha married r first husband. Four children were born to the marriage. Daniel himself died in 1757, leaving martha a young widow. Her surviving children were then adopted by George Washington and raised as his own. In the spring of 1773, 19yearold jockey announced his engagement. They were married the following year linking the custis family to the calverts. Martha was born in the blue room at yelverton at not burning and she is the only one of the grandchildren to be born at mount vernon. Upon hearing news of her birth, George Washington wrote to his stepson, congratulating him on the birth of another daughter. Less than three years later, Jackie Custis died in november 1781 and the children were split. The two eldest remained with their mother eleanor while the two younger children went to mount vernon where they lived with their grandparents. Less than two years after jackies death, his widow eleanor remarried. Dr. David stewart, her new husband, was a physician and family friend of George Washington. Eleanor and dr. Stewart had an additional 13 children from their marriage. In 1785, robert edge behind arrived at mount vernon, intending to paint a portrait of washington. The artist produced portraits of washington grandchildren, including this portrait of martha at about seven or eight years old. Martha was 16, she accompanies her step grandfather to the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone of the capital building. On september 18, 1790 three. 1793. In a january, 1795, martha became first of Martha Washingtons grandchildren to marry when she wed thomas peter of georgetown. The wedding took place at apart. The Fairfax County plantation where her mother and stepfather resided. Thomas peter was the eldest son of a prominent maryland merchants landowners. Robert peter had immigrated to america from scotland in 1746, eventually ending up in georgetown and working as an agent. After peter purchased glass for chair of the local tobacco trade and began buying large quantities of land. Thomas peter was a successful businessman. At the time of martha 1795 marriage, George Washington asked her what she might like as a wedding present and replied she wanted a likeness of him. George presented her with this portrait by arthur robertson. I should note martha peter frequently wore this miniature even after washingtons death. In february 1812, cb morris wrote in a letter to her sister describing a ball she attended. There, she observed Martha Peters wearing two portrait miniatures. One representing the general, the other of his lady. The portrait miniature of mrs. Washington that martha was wearing that evening was probably the 1772 portrait by Charles Wilson. Was the warning of these miniatures a premier of devotion or was she making a statement as a proud federalist during the Madison Administration . As i will discuss momentarily, thomas and martha peter were outspoken federalist and remain so even after the party fell out of favor. The robertson miniature of washington still retains its original red leather case and forms the foundation of the washington collection at tutor place. Another significant object in the washington collection is this trunk that martha peter received around the time of her marriage. It is from her grandmother containing parts of her wedding trousseau. After their marriage, thomas and martha made their home on k street. Thomass father had given the couple one of the town houses he constructed. Marthas younger sister wrote a friend in october 1795, stating martha expects a little one in a few months. She is now said no charming late. It was at the k street house the thomas and martha posted George Washington as a frequent overnight guest. Thomas and martha peter were frequent visitors to mount vernon and their names appear as dinner guests in washingtons diary. Martha peter last saw George Washington in late november 1799 when he watched their home a month before his death. Martha was pregnant at the time. Later in life, her daughter noted that martha sat on the steps and watch of the general mattis right away that morning. It was the last time she saw him. He died less than a month later into timber of 1799 your still recovering from the birth of her son, martha was not able to attend washingtons funeral. Upon the terms of George Washingtons will, martha received 1 23 of his residual inheritance. Following George Washingtons death, the entire country went of nationald mourning. There were parades, eulogies, tributes delivered in towns and cities. Also, engravings like this one pictured here were popular. The widow washington burned all the correspondence between she and her husband. Martha washington only survived her husband by two years. Among request was the gift of two objects to granddaughter martha peter. First was an engraving of washington that hung in the passage of mount vernon and her writing table. The engraving of washington was sent to mount vernon in 1797 and based on a portrait of washington. And george and martha hung it in the passage at mount vernon. Upon the completion of tudor place in 1816, the tutor family placed the print on the west side of the drawing room. It has remained there for the past two centuries. The writing table made by a it wasanese one of the pieces of french furniture George Washington purchased in new york city in 1790. The table was taken to philadelphia where martha used it in the president s and upon washingtons retirement, it came back to mount vernon where it was used by martha until her death. Here it is in the tudor place parlor about 1900. It too was that tutor place until 1911. It remained in the peter family and in that in 39, returned to 1939, returned to not burning. Found within it behind it or were two letters from george to Martha Washington. This is significant because as i noted, martha burned all their respondent following georges death. Did she say these letters because of their content or were they inadvertently omitted from the flames . Unfortunately, we do not know but one of those letters remains in our collection at tutor place while the second is now back at mount vernon. These are the only two letters that survive from george to Martha Washington with the exception of a short note discovered since they were found. Since these two were foun. The tutor place letter is especially significant, dating to june of 1775, because as the one in which washington might from rights to martha philadelphia. It had occurred by 1828. Martha recounted the story of its discovery to jared sparks, the historian and editor who was visiting to the compile material for his life and letters to George Washington published a couple of years later. The balance of the estate according to the terms of her will work to be sold for ready money used to educate her nephews. Thomas peter, along with her nephews, were named executors of the estate. As an executor he made a record of the sale that survives today in the archives. They purchased nearly 800 worth of goods ranging from furniture and table wares to artwork and even livestock. Cabs that2,000 7500 they purchased. Among the easily identifiable items are half a dozen stools. Used by general washington in his revolutionary war campaign. Also a pair of all black wall brackets presumed to be those that washington purchased in 1791 from James Reynolds in philadelphia. Also in the collection, and hanging griddle, which according was based on what was enjoyed. Can easily bed and a fight, while others have such generalized description that it is impossible to establish exact identity. Especially several lots of sundries, including one on here that cost 29. Not a small price in 1802. Comparable to what they paid for the english chest from the washington bedchamber. Perfect purchased at the sale were used at the home until 1805, when thomas and martha peter purchased to replace. At the time the house look much different than it does now. Thomas, martha, and their children resided in the west wing entombed began talking to architect dr. William fortin about designing a house that will be the center of the georgetown property. The house was completed in 1816 and service a home for subsequent generations till 1983. The mount vernon objects they are hired at the sale could be found within tutor place. Prince decorated prints decorated the walls, china throughout the house. For almost 200 years they lived among these washington objects. When quincy, the federalist politician of massachusetts, visited in 1813 martha peter presented him with george. Ashingtons gorge it the one visible in Charles Wilson teals portrait depicting him in his uniform as a kernel in the virginia regiment. Martha noted that she had received it upon Washington Post death in 1799. ,onored to receive such a get it was presented to the Benevolent Society of washington in her honor. It cannot be found in the collection of the massachusetts historical society. Few objects the that left the family in the 19th century. Remember i mentioned that thomas and martha peter were ardent federalists . They named their three daughters accordingly. The harvard professor, george, visited the place, he noticed that they were of the boston stamp of politics, and allusion to their political affiliation is federalists. Thomas peter died in the spring of 1834 and for the next 20 years martha peter was the owner of tutor place. The house was home to multiple generations of families. ,n 1842 when her daughter died her widower husband sent the children there to be raised whether grandmother. Similarly, his daughter widowed after less than two years of marriage returned with their sixmonthold daughter in february of 1844. One of the most fascinating characters in the story. Born in the winter of 1850 just months after the british burned washington, she was a young girl of nine years old. In 1824. Visited she visibly recounted that occasion for the rest of her life. Tenant she met beverly at a party at the halo home a couple of blocks from the house. , decorated naval officer and like pretending, had an impressive family lineage. They were married in the drawing room the following year. Commodore8, 1844, the , president , and other prominent cabinet members, officers, and dignitaries were aboard to see a demonstration of the ships long gone, the peacemaker. The ship cost long gun, the ships long gun, the peacemaker. In 1844 the husband was killed. Along with other ladies, dignitaries, they were all owed when the gun exploded. But they were spared when it exploded. Britannias old, married her husband and returned to her mothers house accompanied by her sixmonth old daughter and for the next 67 years she would reside there, helping to raise additional generations of the tutor family. Peter family. Here we see but can you possibly are, martha peter, about 70 years old with her daughter. Shes holdingee the portrait of George Washington in her hand. The same one that she received as a gift upon her 1795 marriage. Thats what i love about this photo. Martha is the link that ties together five generations of family. Image asideomatic from that portrait painted when she was seven years old. In her will she bequeathed to the place to britannia. Her other political child was also an owner of a large largest state in Montgomery County and received a substantial inheritance 20 years before. Uncertain. Ure was she received instructions in her will to set sell the northernmost portions of the property and use the funds toerated from the sale provide dowries for the orphan daughters of her deceased sister america. Her tenure turned tudor house into a boarding house to prevent the house from being seized and turned into a hospital. Her ownership continued well into the first decade of the 20th century and i like to call her the first curator on tutor place. After the civil war, the house returned to its role as a private home. Her tenure as a dot or had grown into a young woman. The following year, she married a distant cousin and the couple lived at tutor place soon adding a new generation to the family. Five years later, martha died suddenly, leaving behind five children. The youngest of which was only six years old. It was brittania was served as a maternal presence and her grandchildrens lives. The family began writing down brittanias reminiscences. Her grandchildren recorded the memories she provided of meeting lafayette during his visit of the civil war. Brittania also began labeling objects in the familys collection, noting the history on the back of framed works of art, especially the pieces her parents acquired at the 1802 sale. You can see why i call her the first curator of tutor place. In may of 1890, brittania and the washington objects at tudor place gained National Attention as they were the subject of a story in the century illustrated monthly magazine. Some New Washington relics was the title of the story. It described the objects found at to the place. Heres an illustration showing a pair of andirons. The magazine also included this image showing brittania and two of her grandsons in the tutor place saloons among the washington objects. The tea table and the stool are front and center with other pieces of china on display. You can see behind brittania its kind of hard to see but that is the lance clay landscape plan of mount vernon. The great granddaughter of george and Martha Washington during that time just after americas centennial one there was renewed interest in our colonial past. Britannia died in her room at tudor place on january 20 6, january 26, 1911 on these of , her birthday. Her funeral was held in the drawing room after which the casket was taken to oak hill cemetery. She was buried next to her late husband who died 67 years earlier. According to the terms of her will, the estate was to be divided evenly among her five grandchildren. The children of her late daughter. Her grandsons along with their sister begin the arduous task of inventorying the items, recording and labeling everything in the house. Armistead described the process in a letter to his wife in june 1911. Agnes writes the things down while i stick the numbers on and the numbers he is referring to our papal labels affixed to every item. The number corresponding to a written inventory. Objects purchased in mount vernon or inherited by martha peter also received a paper mount vernon label as well. They identified 529 items that came from mount vernon, ranging from the pieces i discussed to a piece of soap. This shows even the most monday, every day objects were significant to the peter family. The inventory describes the documents and knows which of the five grandchildren inherited it during the estate. Everything from soup spoons to those fragments of soap. The other issue at hand during the 1911 division was the actual house. How could an 11,300 square foot house to be evenly divided amongst five siblings . Armistead peter junior also continued the works grandmother started writing down Family History and labeling objects and continuing to live among these washington objects he inherited from his grandmother. Upon his death in 19 80, the house was inherited by his only child. For the next 23 years, Armistead Stuart at tudor place into the 20th century. Luckily, it didnt have to be. Lot was allowed to own it outright. And in 1912 family and in 1913 he worked with his theher and the principle of firm marsh and peter here in washington to modernize the house, adding radiator system and indoor plumbing with electricity. He completed the work that his grandmother had started, writing down bits of Family History, labeling objects, continuing to live among these objects that he had inherited from his grandmother, britannia. Upon his death the house was inherited by his only child. His son, Armistead Peter the wife, caroline. For the next 23 years they stuart it the place into the 20th century. They have been living there for a portion of every year since 1924. Stewarding the house well untilhe 20th century, 1983. Was his wish that it be left as a museum so that he and his wife set things in motion in the 1960s to create the foundation that is now the tutor Place Foundation and open house to the public after his death. In 1988 the house opened as a museum to allow the public to see the object ive discussed today. As a further tied to george revolution, i the want to mention our Upcoming Event at the end of the month, the reproduction of the office to marquee tents coming tutor place unable 29th and we 30th. Have a number of planned activities to highlight the tent and its connection to objects in tutor place such as the camp store. Now that ive looked at how the collection came to tutor place, i want to highlight some of the additional objects and the washington collection. Among the items purchased at the sale was this large fungible that george and Martha Washington acquired in the Third Quarter of the 18th century. The book features an interesting mix of eastern and western decorative motifs. The exterior of the bowl features a chinese writes cultivation while the interior features a hunt. According to the peters daughter pretended, the ball was used to serve appletalk the at parties apple toddy at parties. Also found a tutor place is a large collection of french porcelain. Part of 309 pieces washington purchased in 1790. He acquired many of the pieces from the royal menu factory starting in 1778 and supplemented those pieces with additional pieces from other manufacturers over the next decade. Various pieces can be seen on the tutor place dining table. Ill pieces thomas and martha peter purchased at that mount vernon sale. They also acquired a tea table made in england during the Third Quarter of the 18th century and it is pictured very centrally here. It is today found in the parlor. Next to it, you can see the corner of the tea table leg is this stool that was probably made in philadelphia and used by the washingtons at the president s house on suite with a set of french chairs. They cant stool is one of the most significant objects, only one of two that survived by 1911. Remember thomas and martha peter purchased six of these tools at the 20 1802 sale. Our store was inherited by Armistead Peter junior and by one of his brothers is now in the smithsonian. The only two of 18 that survived. I cannot forget another significant piece of furniture at tudor place, the washington chest. It had two notable owners by the time it was purchased by thomas and martha peter. Made in london, the chest was originally purchased by George William fairfax. George washington actually purchase the piece secondhand at the 1774 sale near mount vernon. George and martha used the chest in their bedchamber. You can see it right there. It appears in john chapmans 1884 painting of that room. Today, it can be found in the upper hall at tutor place. In addition to the furniture and objects are discussed, our collection has 50 complete textiles associated with the washington family, including one of the 12 needlepoint cushions that Martha Washington cross stitched over 36 years. Intending to use the cushions on a set of chairs at mount vernon. She completed the final cushion a few months before her death after which the cushions were divided evenly among her granddaughters. Also in the collection, these late 18thcentury english roast blankets. These textiles are called blankets we have a number of fragment three textiles, including pieces of martha subsequentincluding pieces of Martha Washingtons down and upholstery and curtain fabric purported to be from the philadelphia president s house through the family. Last but not least, everyday objects like the soap i mentioned earlier and buttons. The final group of objects related to the washingtons can be found in the tutor place archives. Key among those is the 1775i mentioned but also in looting 17 letters of condolence received by Martha Washington after George Washingtons death, including from john adams. 12 replies are also present to those letters in the hand of tobias lear. The archive also contains correspondence between George Washington and thomas peter and documents relating to the settlement of Martha Washingtons estate. Thomas peter was one of the executors of marthas estate. Time has allowed me to highlight a small portion of the significant objects in the collection. I hope you will consider this a preview and come visit the house and learn about the history of the family who lived amongst them for 200 years. I note that as part of our 2016 bicentennial, a book about the history of tutor place will be available in fall 2016. The collection comprises over 15,000 objects. Ive barely scratched the surface in describing a select few of them today. I also mentioned i would highlight the role as the daughters of the american of evolution in the lives of britannia. Original correspondence related can be found in the tutor place archives. Retain it became a member in 1891 when the organization was a few months old. Her membership number was 215. I asked a more recent number how many digits typically comprise membership numbers in the 21st century and she said they are up to six digits. Pretend you at number 215. In 18 brittania at number 215. She served as a National Vice president. That seems to be more of an honorary position in the organization. As the great granddaughter of Martha Washington, she was a significant figurehead for the membership of the dar. Also found among the papers is this certificate about her role as a regent in the District Of Columbia and to ribbons from the continental congress. And these ribbons are in pristine condition and look like they were made yesterday. And each january in celebration of her birthday, the dar would send a bouquet of flowers to tudor place. She died on the eve of her 96th birthday. This time it wasnt to celebrate pate and his birthday but in memory of her recent passing. A tribute to her grandmother is such a fitting contribution to my lecture. I brothers and i thank you for your some dear sympathy and for the beautiful spray of white i brothers and i thank you for the dearest sympathy and beautifuls array of white carnations, the colors that you sent grandmother. I thank you in her name. Each year your colorful wishes for her birthday have been appreciated and she was happy waking among those long loved but gone before. Of was also so thoughtful others, her own weariness always being put aside to share her greater joy. As i said earlier, she was a living link to the americans that fought in the revolution. She grew up hearing memories are mother recounted of mount vernon, of attending the cornerstone and of the last time she saw general washington. Retain herself met lafayette during that 1820 44 and left sharing stories about her meeting with him and other events from her own lifetime with her family. Memories of famous politicians or the civil war impacted the family but at the center of all of her stories was tutor place. The house where she lived for all but a few of her 96 years. Surrounded by these objects in the Family History they embodied, objects and memories she passed onto the next generation of the family. Objects her greatgrandson wanted to keep intact as a collection to prevent another Division Like what happened in 1911. We set up our foundation to operate tutor place as a museum and share these objects and others with the public, guaranteeing the collection will be intact for another 200 years. Thank you. [applause] are we able to take questions . Like them happy. If the case treat peter house still stood, conditionally i guess thats subjunctive it would legitimately have a plaque that said George Washington slept here . The 1960s, itil believe. I know it was demolished in preparation for the expansion of the whitehurst freeway. I do know that the site was archaeologically excavated 10 years ago and they found some interesting objects and hundred great deal of the early material culture of the family through those activities. Yes . Did they sell or give those objects to mount vernon . Number of them later in life did. Some of their descendents did as well. Anyone else . It does have one of Martha Washington cost wilts . Yes, we had a number. Was prevented from going into detail about a number of these objects, but there are so many fascinating objects. It always just amazes me, its a dream to have such a substantial collection. Even such as these, the ones highlighting the membership there, those are a perfect example of the family that kept everything. So. Again, thank you very much. [applause] thank you so much for coming. We are just delighted to have you here. It certainly makes me want to visit to replace. I hope that for you who are here, while you are here you will take a look at our collection of washington related objects. Our galleries on the first floor, the one were you came in. We have a lot of objects that have a washington connection as well, or that somebody slaps his face onto because who is the biggest hero of the American Revolution . Obviously George Washington. Here is the challenge. See if you can find how many times washingtons face appears throughout the gallery. Its a lot. Again, thank you so much for coming and i hope you enjoy the rest of this delightful day. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2016] i am history buff. Countryoy seeing our and how things work. L of going to the american artifacts. But i had no idea they did history in this way. It gives you that perspective. Im a cspan fan. Monday on the communicators, Michael Orielly on several key issues facing the sec, like net neutrality, which is currently in the court, along with settop boxes. He also comments on the political divide within the sec. The direction from leadership, including from the chairman, was to take most aggressive, leftist approach to policymaking. It left little ground when there was when that was the first policy goal of the item. When the policy of the direction they wanted to go became the first goal rather than any consideration of any collegiality or an attempt to bring or develop a census. You wind up with the scenario we had today. Where there was little interest in bringing my opinion on board and i am going to express my views. Watch monday night, at 8 p. M. East eastern on cspan2. Welcome to san bernardino, on American History tv. This city helps to make up what is commonly referred to as the in land empire. A metropolitan area east of los angeles. Ath help from our partners time warner and charter, we will explore the history of the city and the surrounding area. Visit the Railroad Museum and learn how the Santa Fe Railroad retained growth. They decided to house the headquarters at this location at that time. Making it an itr