Using their inheritance from President George Washington, Martha Parke Custis Peter and her husband, Thomas Peter, built Tudor Place. Martha was the granddaughter of First Lady Martha Washington and step-granddaughter of George Washington. This Georgetown home, completed between 1805 and 1816, was designed by Dr. William Thornton, the architect of the U.S. Capitol and the Octagon House. Its most striking architectural feature is a unique circular portico built into the house with floor-to-ceiling curved windows looking onto the garden. The home remained in the Peter family for six generations until 1983, then opened as a public museum in 1988. Because of this continuity, it has retained an impressive collection of memorabilia and historical documents spanning a 178-year period.
The stories told here are steeped in major historic events. From her parlor window, Martha Peter watched Washington, DC burn after being torched by the British during the War of 1812. Residents of Tudor Place mourned when Beverley Kennon, husband of second-generation owner Britannia Peter Kennon, died in the tragic USS Princeton explosion. Britannia later showed great resourcefulness when she boarded northern Union officers here during the Civil War to prevent them from confiscating the property, as had been done to her cousin Robert E. Lee’s Arlington House. The families were of southern heritage.
Tudor Place contains over 15,000 historic artifacts, including objects originally belonging to George and Martha Washington. Its most prized possession is one of the three surviving letters from George to Martha, notifying her of his appointment to lead the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. After her husband’s death, Martha burned her correspondence with George in order to keep their personal lives private, but this letter was found in the back of Martha’s writing desk. See a copy of the letter here.
Check the website for hours of operation, guided tours, and special talks. Visitors delight in touring both the home and garden. Tudor Place hosts programs and events for adults and students. The venue can be rented for private events. Research requests can be arranged by appointment.