People saved things. What people saved to remember the american revolution, why they save them. What things grew out of that tradition. Im delighted to welcome our guest today it will talk about some themes that are very similar to what is an art exhibit. He comes from another museum that has a significant collection of George Washingtons items. It ties in very well to our collection. Im delighted to introduce the curator at tudor place to store historic home and gardens. Prior to coming to tudor place, he was the assistant curator of collections at the James Madison 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 house on long island. He has a master of arts in anthropology with a concentration in historical archaeology from the university of south carolina. Please look at me grant uetermous. Grant q [applause] mr. Quetermous good afternoon. I want to thank heidi their and katie for the 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 Martha washington. 30 objects that displayed at tudor place, the objects that comprise the washington collection. At the end of my talk, i will briefly discuss longtime tudor kace resident brittania innons memberships in the dar. I want to do highlight some of the ephemera and documents from our archives relating to hurt position as an Office Holder in the organization. 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 portico was completed in 1816. Yes, this year we celebrate our bicentennial which we are very happy about. The bicentennial of the completion of the house. Before i start discussing the objects found, i want to highlight the familys connection to george and Martha Washington. It is through Martha Custis peter. Martha and thomas were the original owners of tutor place. Martha was Martha Washingtons granddaughter, one of the 4 children of marthas son. Martha was a widow with two children when she married George Washington in january of 1759. 10 years before, martha married her first husband. Daniel park custis. Four children were born to the marriage with two dying at a young age into surviving. Daniel himself died in 1757, leaving martha a young widow. Her surviving children, her son jackie and a daughter martha notice patsy to the family were then adopted by George Washington and raised as his own. In the spring of 1773, 19yearold jackie announced his engagement to 15yearold eleanor talbot. They were married the following year, linking the custis family to the calvert of maryland. Jackie and eleanor had seven children, four of which survived. Martha who in 1776, i will focus on as the matriarch of the peter family, born in in 1777 given 1777. Room atas born in the mount vernon on december 31, 1777 and she is the only one of the four grandchildren to be born at mount vernon. Upon hearing news of her birth, George Washington wrote to his stepson jackie 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 and marthas stepfather, was in alexandria physician and family friend of George Washingtons. Eleanor and dr. Stewart had an additional 13 children from their marriage. Although martha remained at the plantation, she was a frequent visitor to mount vernon. In 1785, Robert Edge Pine 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 eightyearsold. When martha was 16 she accompanies her step grandfather to the federal city for the ceremony ceremonial laying of the cornerstone of the capital building. On september 18, 1793. In a january 6, 1795, martha became first of Martha Washingtons grandchildren to marry when she wed thomas peter of georgetown. The wedding took place at ho park the Fairfax County , plantation where her mother and stepfather resided. Thomas peter was the eldest son of prominent maryland merchants , land owner and former mayor of georgetown robert peter. Robert peter had immigrated to america from scotland in 1746, eventually ending up in georgetown and working as an agent for john glass for it and company. After peter purchased glass for chair of the local tobacco trade and began buying large quantities of land. Both plots in georgetown and property in the surrounding counties that he later sold for substantial profits. Thomas peter was a successful businessman. And a large landowner in Montgomery County, maryland. At the time of marthas 1795 marriage, George Washington asked her what she might like as a wedding present. She replied she wanted a likeness of him. George presented her with this portrait. It was clearly a cherished memento depicting washington and his military uniform. I should note martha peter frequently wore this miniature even after washingtons death. In february 1812, Pheobe Morris wrote in a letter to her sister describing a ball she attended. There, she observed martha peter wearing two portrait miniatures as large as warming pans. 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 peel given peel. Was the warning of these miniatures a premier of devotion or was she making a statement as a proud federalist during the Madison Administration . During a time of the jeffersonian democrats for the party in power. As i will discuss momentarily, both thomas and martha peter were outspoken federalist and remained so even after the party fell out of favor. Regardless of her intent in wearing the miniatures the , robertson miniature of washington still retains its original red leather case and forms the foundation of the washington collection at tutor tudor place. Another significant object in the washington collection is this trunk that martha peter received around the time of her marriage. Sent from her grandmother containing parts of her wedding trousseau. Clothing and held so linens to be used in the new home. The leather trunk of this decorative brass tacks was made by Jesse Sharples of philadelphia and retains his label on the interior. After their marriage, thomas and martha made their home on k street. Thomass father had given the couple one of the town houses he construction near rock creek. Marthas younger sister wrote a friend in october 1795, stating martha expects a little one in a few months. She is now settled in the federal city most charmingly. She is perfectly happy. It was at the k street house the thomas and martha posted George Washington as a frequent overnight guest. An retired president took active interest in the new federal city, frequent the crossing the potomac they gauge the process of the building projects and staying with thomas and martha peter during his visits. Washingtons diary includes multiple Interest Rate he stayed with thomas and martha peter, who 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 lodged at their home about a month before his death. Martha was pregnant at the time. About the give birth to her son john park custis peter. Later in life, her daughter noted that martha sat on the steps and watch of the general now his horse and right away. Ride away. It was the last time she saw him when he died in december of 1799. Martha was not able to attend washingtons funeral. Her husband thomas attended to represent the family. Upon the terms of George Washingtons will, martha received 1 23 of his residual inheritance. It was valued at 8,000. Following George Washingtons death, the entire country went into a period of national mourning. There were parades, eulogies, tributes delivered in towns and cities from massachusetts to georgia. Also, engravings like this one pictured here were popular. People thought to memorialize the late president. On a more personal level, the lid of washington burned all the correspondence between she and her husband, wishing that part of their lives to remain high private. Martha washington only survived her husband by two years. She died in may of 1802. Among request was the gift of the family members was a gifted to objects to granddaughter martha peter. First an engraving of washington that formally 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 one of his portraits of washington. Upon its arrival george and , martha hung it in the passage at mount vernon. Upon the completion of tudor place in 1816, the peter 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 was one of the pieces of french furniture George Washington purchased in new york city in 1790. The table was taken to the table was then taken to philadelphia. Then 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 at tutor place until 1911. It remained in the peter family and in 1939, returned to mount vernon. Might not seem overly important today but in an age where people were writing hundreds if not thousands of letters per year, this would have been a piece at which Martha Washington spent a great deal of time. Found within and behind a drawer were two letters from george to Martha Washington. This is significant because as i noted, martha burned all their correspondence following georges death. So did she save 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. The tutor place letter is especially significant dating to june of 1775 because it is the one in which washington writes to them either from philadelphia informing her he has been given command of the continental army. It is unknown when the peter family discovered the letters and the writing table but it didnt occur until because 1828 martha recounted the story of its discovery to jared sparks, the historian visiting tutor place to compile material. Aside from these specific bequests, like the engraving, the balance of Martha Washingtons estate were to be sold for money used to benefit the education of her nephews. Thomas peter, along with martha nephews and grandson or named executors of the estate. As an executor, thomas peter made a record of the sale, which survives today in the tutor place archives. Thomas and martha attended that july 1802 sale at mount vernon, purchasing 800 worth of its goods ranging from furniture and table wares to artwork and livestock. The cows they purchased there. Among the easily identifiable items on the list are a halfdozen stools. Also, a pair of wall brackets. Presumed to be those washington purchased in 1790 one from James Reynolds in philadelphia. Also in our collection, a hanging griddle, which are according to peter Family Tradition was used to make the , hotcakes of George Washington enjoyed. The list of Historical Documents is fascinating. Some items can easily be identified while others have such generalized description that is impossible to establish its exact identity. Arecially intriguing several lost sundries, including here that cost 29. One this a price comparable to what thomas and martha paid for the english chest from the washingtons bedchamber. The items purchased at the sale were used at the home until 1800 1805 when thomas and martha peter purchased tutor place. At the time they purchase the property, the house looked much different than it does now. Thomas, martha, and their children resided in the west wing and soon began talking to dr. William thorton about designing a house to be the centerpiece of their property. The house was completed in 1816 and would serve as the home for subsequent generations of the peter family until 1983. He mount vernon object thomas and martha acquired can be found within tutor place. The prince decorated the walls, the china used at the table, and the furniture was found throughout the house. For the almost 200 years the family lived at tutor place, they lived among these washington objects. When josiah quincy, the federalist politician in massachusetts, visited in 1813, he was presented with George Washingtons gorgeous gorge it. The copper gorge it is one that is visible and Charles Wilsons 1772 portrait depicting washington in his uniform of a colonel in the virginia regiment. Martha noted she had received it upon washingtons death in 1799 and mr. Quincy honored to receive such a gift asked marthas approval to present it to the Washington Society in boston in her honor. After the society ceased to exist, it came back and do his and to his ownership and can now be found in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society representing one of the few washington objects that left the peter family in the 19 th century. Remember i mentioned thomas and martha peter were federalists. They named their three daughters columbia washington, america pinckney, and brittania wellington. When harvard professor George Ticknor visited tutor place, he noted that bidders were of the boston stamp in politics, an allusion to their political affiliation as federalists. Thomas peter died in 1834 and for the next 20 years, martha was the owner of tutor place. Though the house was typically home to multiple generations of families. 1842, when marthas daughter america died in buffalo, her husband sent their children to tutor place to be raised by their grandmother. Similarly, marthas daughter brittania returned to tutor place with her sixmonthold daughter in february of 1844. And brittania is one of the most fascinating characters in the tutor place story, born in the winter of 1815, just months after the british burned washington. She was a young girl of nine years old in she vividly 1824. Recounted that occasion for the rest of her life. Captain. She met a navy naval was a decorated officer and had an impressive family lineage. They were married in the tutor place drawing room the following year. On february 28, 1844, Commodore Kenyon and a number of other prominent cabinet members were aboard the uss princeton to see a demonstration of the ships peacemaker. The gun exploded, killing six. Commodore canon, the secretary of state, and the secretary of the navy were among the victims. Brittania was aboard the ship that day when her husband was killed. She along with a number of other ladies and dignitaries were below deck when the gun exploded. They were spared when the gun exploded. So at 29yearsold, brittania buried her husband and returned to her mothers house accompanied by her sixmonthold daughter and for the next 67 years, she would reside at tudor place helping to raise additional generations of the peter family. This shows brittanias mother about 70yearsold with her daughter and you can see martha is holding that portrait miniature of George Washington in her hands, the same one she received as a gift upon her marriage and that is what i love about this photo. Martha peter is the link that ties together five generations of the family. This is the only other image of martha peter besides that portrait painted when she was 7yearsold. Martha would live until 1854 and in her will, she bequeathed her tutor place to brittania. George washington peter was the owner of a large estate in Montgomery County and received a substantial inheritance upon the death of his father but as a widow with a young daughter, brittanias future would be uncertain without property of her own. She received instructions to sell the northernmost portion of the property that bounded our road street and to use the funds generated to provide for the orphan daughters of her deceased sister america. Brittania state at the house, even turning the 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. By this time, markey 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, markey died suddenly, leaving behind five children. The youngest of which was only six years old. It was brittania served as a maternal presence and her grandchildrens lives. In the late the family began 1890s, writing down brittanias reminiscences. Her grandchildren recorded the memories she provided of meeting lafayette during his visit of the civil war. Even memories of george and Martha Washington her mother had shared with her. 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 26, 1911 on the eve of her 96th birthday. Her funeral was held in the drawing room after which the casket was taken to oak hill cemetery, where 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 5 grandchildren. Have grandsons armistead and friedland along with their sister agnes began 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 were paper 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. You can see both of those on this french porcelain cup. Its still possible to see these labels today on any of the objects in the collection and many of the other washington family objects and other institutional collections as well. They identified 529 items that came from mount vernon, ranging from the pieces i discussed to a piece of soap. I like to note this piece because it shows even the most washingtoncts with Family History were significant to the peter family. The 1911 in the tori is an equally important historic document, noting each of which agnes and her two brothers worked tiresomely to ensure everything was split evenly and fairly. 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 . Luckily, it didnt have to be as junior owned it out right. He moved his family in in 1912 with his13, he worked brother, architect and principal of the firm to modernize the house, adding a steam radiator, indoor plumbing, telephone, electricity. Armistead peter junior also continue the work his 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 1960, the house was inherited by his only peter his son armistead the third and his wife caroline. For the next 23 years, armistead junior stewart it tudor place into the 20th century. Though he and his wife caroline had been living there with his father for a portion of every year since 1924. Armistead peter the third steward it the house well into the 20th century, living until 1983. It was his wish it the left as a museum so he and his wife set things in motion in the 1960s to create the foundation that is now the tutor place foundation. In 1988, the house opened as a public tolowing the see these objects i have discussed today. Want to mention our Upcoming Event at the end of the month. The reproduction of George Washingtons office and dining marquee tent will be coming to tutor place on april 29 and 30. We have a number of planned activities. Now that ive looked at how the collection came to tutor place, i want to highlight some of the additional objects in the washington collection. Among the items purchased at the 1802 sale was this large chinese punch bowl that george and Martha Washington acquired in the Third Quarter of the 18th century. The bowl features an interesting mix of eastern and western decorative motifs. The exterior of the bowl features a chinese rights cultivation while the interior features a fox hunt. According to the peters daughter brittania, the ball was toddy aterve apple 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 1802 sale. Toward washington purchased a large set of 18 capsules from philadelphia to outfit his campaign tent. Our stool was inherited by amistead peter junior and second inherited 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 on chest. The english chest on chest 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 18th century english roast blankets. Rose blankets. These textiles are called rose blankets because of the rosing motif found on them. We have a number of fragment textiles, including pieces of Martha Washingtons down and place and upholstery and curtain fabric purported to be from the philadelphia president s house passed down 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 1775 i mentioned but also including 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. Remember i noted 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. Brittania became a member in 1891 when the organization was a few months old. Her membership number was 215. I asked a more recent member 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. 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 her 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 the dar sent an arrangement. But this time it wasnt to celebrate a birthday but in memory of her recent passing. Her granddaughter sent a thanks to the National Office and the letter was later reproduced in the magazine. Her tribute to her grandmother is such a fitting contribution to my lecture. I want to share a brief excerpt of it. My brothers and i thank you for your some dear sympathy and for the beautiful spray of white carnations tied with your colors you sent grandmother. I think thank you in your name. This year, she was among those. She was always so thoughtful of others. One never heard her complain. Her own weariness always being put aside to share her greater joy. Brittania was a living leak link. She grew up hearing memories her mother recounted of mount vernon, of attending the laying of the capital cornerstone, and the last time she saw general washington. Brittania herself met lafayette in that 1824 tour and loved sharing stories about her meeting with him and other events from her own lifetime with her family. Embers of famous politicians 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 great grandson 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] if the peters house still stands, stood, it would have a plaque that said George Washington slept here . It stood until the 1960s. It was one of the properties demolished but i do know that the site was archaeologically excavated about 10 years ago and they found some interesting objects and monday great deal about the early material culture of the family through those excavations. Did the error sell or give so many of those washington objects to mount vernon . A number of them later in life did and some of their descendents did for the the tutor place collection has one of Martha Washingtons quilts . Yes. We have a number of textiles. Time prevented me from going into detail about a number of these objects but there are so many fascinating objects and it amazes me and its a dream for a curator to have such a substantial collection. The ones i highlighted about , brittanias membership in the dar is a perfect example. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you so much for coming. We are delighted to have you here. It certainly makes me want to visit tutor place. I hope that for all of you here, take a look at our collection of washington related objects. Our gallery is on the first floor of the lobby where you came in and we have a lot of objects that have a washington connection as well or that someone put his face onto. Here is a challenge also. 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] watching American History tv. 48 hours of programming on every weekendry on cspan3. Follow us on twitter for information on our schedule and to keep up with the latest history news. In history, Bakersfield College professor Oliver Rosales teaches a class on latinos and their place in the larger Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. He shares his personal Family History and other worrall histories about the National Farm workers association, the labor union led by cesar chavez which eventually became the united farm workers describe the connection between the local connection between akers jones, california and the national Civil Rights Movement. Tonight, we will be talking about