In 1848 Alexander Hamilton’s widow, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, rented a house on H Street in Washington owned by Britannia Peter Kennon of Tudor Place. This house was inherited by Britannia through a series of events that included her marriage to Captain Beverley Kennon in 1842, his advancing naval career, and his sudden death in 1844 aboard the USS Princeton. At the home on H Street, Eliza Hamilton was in the social hub of the city, where she engaged with such notable neighbors as former first lady Dolley Madison and General Winfield Scott.

Tudor Place Archivist Wendy Kail describes the details of the property acquisition, the tragic event that sent Britannia back to Tudor Place, and the activities that took place in and around the H Street house during Mrs. Hamilton’s tenancy.

The article contains footnotes and is followed by a bibliography.

Read here.