Education to Embassies and its Connection to Agnes Peter

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by Sara Law, Archivist

McDonald-Ellis School, c.1900, 27.0217

Massachusetts Avenue is a historic street in Washington D.C. known for being part of the original plans for the city and currently for its world embassies. One embassy, the Embassy of the Philippines sits just east of Scott Circle at the triangular corner of Massachusetts and 17th Street. Before the embassy was built, this corner once housed a school for the daughters of wealthier D.C. residents. A photograph in the Tudor Place Archive with the caption, “McDonald-Ellis School for Girls” reveals the former occupants on this corner as well as its connection to the Peter Family.

By no means the only girls’ school or the first in Washington D.C. for the daughters of the wealthier families of the city, it was an option fairly close to Georgetown. Both a boarding and a day school “one block from the Metropolitan Street Cars and Sixteenth-street Herdic Line” [1], the McDonald-Ellis School for girls was named after its founders Anna Ellis and Lydia McDonald. Born in Ohio, Anna Ellis by 1880 had moved to D.C. and worked as a clerk in the patent office boarding with the family of Lydia P. McDonald [2]. Lydia P. McDonald was born in Indiana and married to the son of ex-senator Joseph Ewing McDonald. When Senator McDonald moved to D.C. in 1875 [3], his son’s family moved to the city as well. After her husband’s death, Lydia with her two children, Joseph and Jessie resided at 1617 N Street with Anna Ellis. As with most girls’ schools at the time, McDonald and Ellis began the McDonald-Ellis School for Girls near their home in 1882 presumably as a source of income. Together, the two women ran the school until Lydia McDonald’s death in 1886.

After McDonald’s death, Anna Ellis took over as caregiver of McDonald’s children and as principal remaining with the McDonald-Ellis school until 1897 when Jessie McDonald, Lydia’s daughter and graduate of the class of 1884, took over as president. The year 1897 was also a notable one for one D.C. resident, Agnes Peter who graduated from the McDonald-Ellis School as valedictorian of her eight-girl class [4].

The Evening Star, June 02 1897

The youngest child and only daughter of Dr. Armistead Peter and his wife Martha Kennon Peter, Agnes was born in 1880 and grew up spending most of her life at and around Tudor Place. Because of her status, Agnes was around many other wealthy families who sent their daughters to schools such as McDonald-Ellis. Researching the class lists at the McDonald-Ellis School for Girls’ informational programs from 1882-1891, I realized it was clear there was no Agnes Peter in attendance [5]. However, in a letter from January 1893 from Dr. Peter addressed to the school and his daughter [6], Agnes attended and partially lived at the McDonald-Ellis School from the age of 12 to 17. Apparently, her time at the school was a memorable one, considering Agnes kept the clipping of the school building. After her graduation in 1897, Agnes’ principal Jessie McDonald would step down as president and hand over the school to Reverand Edward R Lewis and Mrs. Rose Baldwin Lewis [7]. They would continue to keep the school open into the beginning of the 20th century.

The Washington Post, 1903

By 1903, the McDonald-Ellis School changed its name and location to the English-Classical School located at 1764 Corcoran Street. Mary Evelyn Steger and Katherine Stockton Hawkins were president and associate president respectively [8]. By 1904, the building at 17th and Massachusetts became the Eastman Misses School run by Anna H Eastman [9]. It served as an educational building for another three decades until the Great Depression where it became a family residence for various people throughout the city. The land was bought by the United States Government in the 1960s and by 1992 [10], it became the home of the Philippine Embassy on the street known affectionately as Embassy Row.

 

Sources
[1] McDonald-Ellis School for Girls Program, 1889–1890, p. 5. DC MLK Library Research Room.
[2] 1880 D.C. Census. Ancestry.com.
[3] Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. “Joseph E. McDonald.” https://indyencyclopedia.org/joseph-e-mcdonald/
[4] The Times, June 2, 1897, p. 5. Accessed June 12, 2024. Newspapers.com.
[5] McDonald-Ellis School for Girls Program, 1887–1888. DC MLK Library Research Room.
[6] MS 27 Martha Peter Gift Collection, Box 1, Folder 15. “Letter to Agnes Peter care of Miss Ellis at McDonald-Ellis School.” Tudor Place Archives.
[7] Evening Star, October 6, 1899, p. 16. Accessed March 25, 2025. Newspapers.com.
[8] The Washington Post, January 31, 1903, p. 12. Accessed March 31, 2025. Newspapers.com.
[9] Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia, 1904. DC History Center.
[10] Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines. https://philippineembassy-dc.org/embassy/
DC Historic Sites. “McDonald-Ellis School.” https://historicsites.dcpreservation.org/items/show/360

Creating “Ancestral Spaces”: How descendants re-imagined Tudor Place

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In the hierarchy of museums, historic houses often take the prize for most stuck in the past. Literally marketed as “frozen in time,” they tend to place the lifestyles of the rich, the famous (or the briefly notable in many cases) on a pedestal. So how can institutions so firmly rooted in the past be brought meaningfully into the present? Tudor Place sought out to accomplish this with the award-winning installation and guided tour “Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place.”

The catalyst for change came in two forms. First, the descendant engagement movement that took root in many institutions knocked at the door of Tudor Place. Ann Chinn, a descendant of the Twine family and a member of the Mount Vernon League of Descendants, reached out to Tudor Place because Martha Peter, the first owner of Tudor Place, inherited Ms. Chinn’s ancestors when Martha’s grandmother, Martha Washington, died in 1802. In 2021, Ms. Chinn collaborated with Tudor Place on a family tree that included the biological link between Hannah Pope, her ancestor, and the Peter family.

Tudor Place began proactively searching for descendants. Through a public family tree posted on Ancestry.com, we located Karl Haynes, whose ancestor, John Luckett, was the Tudor Place gardener from 1862 to 1906. We invited Mr. Haynes to visit the site in 2022 and explore the grounds where Mr. Luckett had spent decades of his life, as well as handle the tools Mr. Luckett likely used.

These intimate moments of trust-building with Ann Chinn and Karl Haynes were crucial for the success of “Ancestral Spaces.”

The second impetus for an interpretive shift was an Institution of Museum and Library Services Inspire! grant awarded to conduct research on the site’s history of enslavement, which enabled Tudor Place to hire a dedicated researcher. This work enriched Tudor Place’s understanding of this history and provided new ways to frame this content. The grant called for a small concluding exhibit to share findings with visitors. We felt the most meaningful solution would be to reimagine a guided tour of the historic house from the perspective of enslaved individuals. We also felt strongly it should be the only tour option available for visitors and not marketed as a peripheral “specialty tour.” A timetable for “Ancestral Spaces” was set to run from February to April 2024, but its success led to its extension for almost the entire year.

Tudor Place assembled an Advisory Committee including Ann Chinn, Karl Haynes and other stakeholders involved with interpreting Black history in Georgetown. They were the true curators. Tudor Place viewed its role more as a facilitator seeking to translate the committee’s vision into a form that would work within the historic space and on a meager budget. This process required Tudor Place to do more listening than talking and to consider interpretive tools that had never been used on a guided tour. For example, the Advisory Committee wanted an introductory film. The descendants wrote the script, and a quickly self-taught staff set up a two-camera shot and hired an editor to put it together. Completed within a week for $250, the film would go on to be seen by thousands of visitors as descendants welcomed them into their “ancestral space.”

At the Advisory Committee’s insistence, “Ancestral Spaces” came to life in a multisensory way through audio stations that featured excerpts from a 1993 oral history recorded by Hannah Pope’s granddaughter, Hannah Nash Williams. Recorded on cassette tape when Hannah Williams was 87 years old, we digitized the tapes to be integrated into audio stations throughout the guided tour. Hearing the voice of a woman whose grandmother was enslaved at Tudor Place brought visitors powerfully close to this history.

Perhaps the most effective and visually arresting storytelling technique was the replacement of portraits of the site’s enslavers with those of descendants. Few images of the people enslaved at Tudor Place exist. As the standard historic house solution, we suggested to the Advisory Committee options of hanging silhouettes or printed names. They responded, “Why not just put us up on the wall?” The brilliant idea made a powerful impression on visitors at the very beginning of the tour in the Tudor Place drawing room. These portraits projected the message that all the extravagance of the grand rooms was inextricably tied to the institution of slavery and the exploitation of the ancestors of the people in these photographs.

Visitor responses to “Ancestral Spaces” were overwhelmingly positive with many expressing gratitude for Tudor Place making such a bold statement. Some noted that bringing these stories to the forefront was refreshing, and for some it was the first time they had felt comfortable at a site of enslavement. “Ancestral Spaces” has unlocked new doors at Tudor Place. 

The innovative storytelling techniques and the authoritative voice of descendants were a form of reparative justice acknowledging that Tudor Place had failed to fully and accurately interpret their ancestors’ history.

The most frequent question staff received after “Ancestral Spaces” closed in late 2024 was, “What are you going to do now?” Completely extracting the Peter family from the guided tour for a year revealed that an engaging experience could be created without so much focus on the homeowners. However, balancing interpretation between the Peter family and those enslaved who lived and labored at the site suddenly became easier because stories about enslaved individuals had become just as rich in a fraction of the time as those shared about Peter family members for decades. Most vitally, the site’s relationship with descendants continues to build with more collaborations on the horizon as a new dawn rises over the once-static historic house experience.

Rob DeHart, Curator

Washington, DC | June 2025 and published in the 2024 Annual Report

Unique DMV Architecture: Then and Now

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by  Realty Group Local Blog

Word on the Streets by RE/MAX Realty Group

 

April 4, 2025

The DMV region encompasses the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. The architecture of this area has significant historical implications, as well as modern-day significance. Over the decades, this area has seen a unique blend of historic and modern-day architectural styles, creating a one-of-a-kind blend that many people travel from all around the world to view. From neoclassical monuments to cutting-edge sustainable contemporary developments, the region’s rich architectural landscape tells a fascinating story of change, preservation, and what’s to come in the future.

Fascinatingly, historical buildings can be transformed over time to keep up with a region’s ever-changing character. The DMV region boasts some of the best preserved examples of Colonial and Federal architecture in the United States. These styles were especially prevalent in the 18th and early 19th centuries and placed emphasis on symmetry, classical proportions and elegance with a side of practicality. Not only do these preserved buildings provide the foundation for the timeless architectural styles found throughout the region, they’re a testament to the birth of the landscape of a nation as we know it.

The Significance of the DMV Region’s Architecture Styles

The rich, complex, and fascinating history of the DMV region has significantly shaped the area’s architectural landscape. From early colonial settlements to modern urban developments, the region has buildings that reflect cultural, political, and economic evolutions over the course of several centuries. The Maryland and Virginia regions were among the first of the English colonies, with Jamestown settling in Virginia in 1607 and St. Mary’s City being established in Maryland in 1634. Architecture at the time could be best defined as Georgian style with brick construction and classical proportions, as well as Plantation Houses and colonial churches with utilitarian designs.

The Federal Period followed from the 1780s through the 1820s when Washington DC was established as the nation’s capital in July of 1790 per The Residence Act. At this time, the DMV became a hub for government institutions and political power — which it remains as to this day. During this period, architectural designs could be defined by the Federal Style and Neoclassical monuments signified by grand columns and domes.

Historical Landmarks Across the DMV

George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia is a plantation home that exemplified Colonial architecture, with striking symmetrical design, a gabled roof and wood-frame construction. The home was built in phases in the mid 1700s and to this day remains a testament to the styles of the time and the reflection of the life of one of America’s founding fathers.

The White House is arguably the most popular historical landmark in the DMV region, having been constructed over the course of eight years, starting in 1792 and finishing in 1800. The landmark is a prime example of Neoclassical architecture, more specifically influenced by the Palladian style. This style drew inspiration from ancient Greece and Rome, with a centralized dome-like structure, grand columns, and balanced proportions.

Tudor Place in DC was finished in 1816 as the home of Thomas and Martha Peter, Martha Washington’s granddaughter. Tudor Place embodied the Federal style with its elegant portico and well-balanced facade. The domed, marble-floored Temple Portico is the most striking architectural feature. Unlike the more common half-round porches attached to exterior walls of many early 19th-century houses, this circular structure extends into the house itself, with floor-to-ceiling windows serving as a transition between interior and exterior spaces. It is the only known full temple portico embedded into a USA residence standing today. The refined detail of the home exhibits the small details and the influence of classical ideals in early American architecture and it stands as a historical testament to the time even today. Throughout the 1800s, the property boasts a beautiful view of the Potomac River. Today, it is obscured by modern day urbanization of the neighborhood and tree canopy.

Read the full article on the Realty Group Local Blog site here

Up in Arms: A Family’s Service

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Vintage engraving portrait of G. Washington Peter c.1810-1820 in military regalia

Portrait of G. Washington Peter c.1810-1820 Engraving (Tudor Place Archive)

TUDOR PLACE TIMES | SUMMER 2024

From the early days of the United States of America through the Korean War, the Peter family proudly served in the armed forces. Through these 150 years, sons, and later daughters, were guided by a strong familial connection and an overall sense of patriotism to serve their country. These military stories are kept alive by the objects they left behind, preserved by later generations of the family.

From the early days of the United States of America through the Korean War, the Peter family proudly served in the armed forces. Through these 150 years, sons, and later daughters, were guided by a strong familial connection and an overall sense of patriotism to serve their country. These military stories are kept alive by the objects they left behind, preserved by later generations of the family.

 

The Beginning: Major G. Washington Peter

G. Washington Peter, born 1779, was the younger brother of Tudor Place’s first owner, Thomas Peter. Early in his life, he had a desire to join the military, running off at just 15 years old to try to join the Maryland troops and help defeat the Whiskey Rebellion. Though
he was sent home by George Washington from the Whiskey Rebellion, it would be through Washington’s recommendation that Washington Peter received his first commission to 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army from President John Adams. While there seems to be no trace of this commission, his later commission to Captain from Thomas Jefferson is well preserved and complements his later letters while he was serving as the commanding officer at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, where he set up the first light artillery unit in the country. After leaving Fort McHenry, he later resigned his commission to protest the sale of his unit’s horses, but his drive for service never stopped. He organized a unit of the Georgetown Militia which was one of very few units to return fire with the British at the Battle of Bladensburg on August 14, 1814 before their march on Washington(1). Though his military service came to a close, George Peter held onto a seating chart from the 19th Congress where he served as a representative from Maryland where he worked alongside prominent future leaders including Sam Houston, James Buchanan and James Polk(2).

Family Tragedy: Captain William G. Williams

Captain William G. Williams found love with America P. Peter, one of the daughters of Thomas and Martha Peter right after he graduated from the Military Academy at West Point in 1824. From there he was assigned as a Topographical Engineer in Buffalo, New York. At the start of the Mexican American War in April 1846, William Williams was under the command of General Zachary Taylor whose unit was brought to Mexico. In September 1846, Taylor’s unit, including Captain Williams, was in Monterrey, Mexico. On September 21, Captain Williams was sent on reconnaissance mission and found himself in an unfortunate position when the Mexican troops started firing from Fort Teneria. General Braxton Bragg explained the story of Captain Williams’ death in a letter that included a map to Captain Williams’ son Laurence Abert Williams in 1854. He wrote in high regard of the Captain at the end of the letter saying “most nobly did he meet his fate, forgetting himself and his suffering when the cause required”(3). Accompanied by his sword, portrait and buttons from his Topographical Engineer Uniform the story of a man who gave his life for the United States at 45 years old resonated and was preserved through the family line.

Women in the War: Agnes Peter and Caroline Peter

In World War I and II, women were not able to serve on the front lines, but many women found ways to contribute to the war effort on the home front. Agnes Peter, Armistead Peter Jr.’s sister, enrolled in a boarding school in Tarrytown, New York which taught her skills like typing, driving and automobile repair. When the program concluded in summer 1918, Agnes was ready to travel to Europe to put her skills to use, but by the time her paperwork arrived, the Armistice had been signed. Yet, Europe still needed help after the war. Since she had all of her paperwork, Agnes traveled to France under the YMCA and helped people and communities there until 1921. Agnes’ passport with its cancellation stamped in 1921 shows her dedication to the work she was doing alongside the ribbons and honors she received for her humanitarian work in France(4). It was women who provided crucial humanitarian work to help countries and families rebuild following the turmoil of war. Agnes might not have been a soldier, but her wartime dedication and passion followed her family legacy of service. Caroline Peter, wife of Tudor Place’s final owner, Armistead Peter 3rd, served in a similar role as a nurse for the American Red Cross during both World War I and World War II(5). She served in these roles at the same time her husband, Armistead Peter 3rd, was serving in the U.S. Navy. As the last private owners of Tudor Place, Caroline and Armistead continued the family legacy of patriotism and service as they both served during those wars. The Peter family, over more than a century, proudly embraced military service and a deep love for their country that was preserved through generations.

– Alex Brandis, Spring 2024 Collections Intern

Source List:
1. MS-4 Finding Aid; Major George Peter Biographical Sketch
2. House of Representatives Seating Map, 19th Congress by A.J. Stansbury 1825 (MS4, Box 3,
Folder 22, Document 3)
3. Braxton Bragg to Laurence Albert Williams Describing the Battle of Monterey, September 24,
1954 (MS12, Box 1, Folder 7)
4. Agnes Peter’s World War I United States Passport, 1918
5. MS-22 Finding Aid; Caroline Ogden-Jones Peter Biographical Sketch

BIOGRAPHY CENTRAL

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Follow archivist and historian Heather Bollinger as she uncovers and reports the lives of enslaved and free people who lived and worked at this National Historic Landmark.
  • Read Patty Allen’s biography here (1770-1831). While enslaved by the Peters at Tudor Place, Patty lived with her free husband off the property. Every day, Patty labored as the cook for the Peter family.
  • Read Ralph Anderson’s biography here (1790-unrecorded). Part of Marta Peter’s inheritance of 48 enslaved people after the death of her grandmother, Martha Washington.
  • Read Stacia Hepburn’s biography here (1801-1895). Anastacia “Stacia” Hepburn was born about 1801, likely in Montgomery County, Maryland, and was enslaved to the Peter family.

Read additional stories of others:

Biography: Ralph Anderson (1790 – unrecorded)

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Follow archivist and historian Heather Bollinger as she uncovers and reports the lives of enslaved and free people who lived and worked at this National Historic Landmark. Ralph Anderson was part of Martha Peter’s inheritance of 48 enslaved people after the death of Martha Washington. Ralph worked at Thomas Peter’s plantation, Seneca Farm, before he self-emancipated in 1910.

Read Ralph Anderson’s biography here.

Biography: Patty Allen (1770-after 1831)

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Follow archivist and historian Heather Bollinger as she uncovers and reports the lives of enslaved and free people who lived and worked at this National Historic Landmark. Patty Allen labored as a cook for the Peter family.  Yet her journey as an enslaved person started long before she came to Tudor Place.  Documents showed at one year old, Patty, was enslaved to John “Jacky” Parke Custis (1754 – 1781), the only son of Martha Washington before she married George Washington. Following Jacky’s father’s death in 1757, under Virginia’s laws concerning intestacy (dying without a will), almost 18,000 acres of land and personal property including about 285 enslaved persons were held in trust for him until he came of age. When his sister died in 1773, Jacky became the sole heir of all that was the Custis estate, including Patty.

 

In recent years, Tudor Place has been substantiating its narrative of enslavement through in-depth research, outreach to descendants and archaeological digs in various places on-site. These fragments represent a history that was mostly erased from the landscape and stands in contrast to the preserved house and intact objects of the Peter family. Piecing these fragments together builds humanity around the individual’s whole life and contributes a more unified narrative of the story of Tudor Place that includes the lives of the enslaved and free people. Tudor Place hopes to instill in visitors an understanding of how the practice of slavery was distinctive in the District of Columbia—and in particular Georgetown where the landscape included enslaved and free, artisans and laborers, differing religions, young and old, so that we may celebrate the triumphs and the complexities of the past to forge a better future.

Read Patty Allen’s biography here:

An inside look into Kiwi artist Peter Waddell whose paintings hang in the White House

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NEWSHUB _ BY MITCH MCCANN

The Defining Day – Peter Waddell

Newshub takes an inside look into Tudor Place Artist-in-Residence Peter Waddell, the Kiwi artist whose paintings hang in the White House.

Read the full article and watch the video here:

Biography: Anastacia “Stacia” Hepburn (1801-1895)

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Follow archivist and historian Heather Bollinger as she uncovers and reports the lives of enslaved and free people who lived and worked at this National Historic Landmark. Stacia Hepburn was an enslaved maid and nurse/nanny who nursed Britannia Peter Kennon’s nephew, Orton, through his bout with typhoid fever in 1847.  A few snippets of her life were recounted by members of the Peter family including Britannia in her reminiscences:

Stacia [took care of me]…Stacia’s sister was named Brythe & another sister whose name was Elizabeth—father [Thomas Peter] gave her to Meck [America, Britannia’s older sister], an excellent nurse. Capt. Williams [America’s husband] ordered to Cape Cod, took her and she ran away.[1]

In recent years, Tudor Place has been substantiating its narrative of enslavement through in-depth research, outreach to descendants and archaeological digs in various places on-site. These fragments represent a history that was mostly erased from the landscape and stands in contrast to the preserved house and intact objects of the Peter family. Piecing these fragments together builds humanity around the individual’s whole life and contributes a more unified narrative of the story of Tudor Place that includes the lives of the enslaved and free people. Tudor Place hopes to instill in visitors an understanding of how the practice of slavery was distinctive in the District of Columbia—and in particular Georgetown where the landscape included enslaved and free, artisans and laborers, differing religions, young and old, so that we may celebrate the triumphs and the complexities of the past to forge a better future.

Read Stacia Hepburn’s biography here.

[1] “Britannia’s Reminiscences, 1895-1900,” in Armistead Peter, Jr. Papers, MS-14, Box 69, Folder 24, and Box 70, Folder 1-3, Tudor Place Manuscript Collection, Tudor Place Historic House & Garden, Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

Additional Resources for “Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place.”

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Learn more about the lives and impact of the individuals and families of African descent who lived and worked at Tudor Place.

Tudor Place Resources:

Read biographies of the lives of the enslaved and free people who lived and worked at Tudor Place.

 

 

Read a blog post uncovering the excavation and interpretation of evidence of an enslaved home space in the North Garden.

 

 

Descendants sitting in a semi-circle with Fred Murphy, facilitator, sitting in middle at gallery space at Georgetown University.

Watch a playlist of Tudor Place programs that go into topics covered on Ancestral Spaces, including a conversation with descendants, a look at the life of Samuel Collins and the processes Tudor Place is undertaking to interpret the lives of enslaved individuals.

Read an interview between Karl Haynes, a descendant of John Luckett, and Tudor Place Curator Rob DeHart.

 

 

In The News:

Listen to an interview with Tudor Place Executive Director Mark Hudson on the City Cast DC podcast, introducing the special installation and guided tour.

 

Read an article from The Washington Informer revealing more about Ancestral Spaces and the descendants who collaborated with Tudor Place to put it together.

 

Watch an Instagram highlight collection including social media coverage of the special installation and guided tour.