Press Release: Tudor Place Celebrates Champion of Preservation at Annual Spring Garden Party

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Press Release 

April 15, 2025

 

Contact

Janet Wall

Director of Development & Communications

press@tudorplace.org | 202-580-7323

 

Washington, DC – The Tudor Place Board of Trustees and Co-Chairs Charlotte Grassi Ramirez and Gwendolyn Lohse Assey are pleased to announce the Spring Garden Party will be held on Wednesday, May 21. Each year, the Spring Garden Party recognizes an instrumental figure, who has been stalwart in the support of Tudor Place and the community who inspires others to engage with and support historic preservation.

This year’s event will honor Mrs. Beverly Jost, a passionate advocate for conserving Georgetown’s history. Mrs. Jost served with distinction on the Board of Trustees of Tudor Place for nine years, including three as President. Beverly has shared a profound respect for the past, working tirelessly for over 35 years promoting historic preservation and the beauty of Georgetown. “I believe in the importance of historic houses to provide an intimate glimpse into the past, and Tudor Place plays that role in Washington, DC.”

The Spring Garden Party celebrates Tudor Place’s ongoing commitment to historic preservation, conservation and dynamic educational programming. As the institution’s most important fundraiser of the year, proceeds account for over 20% of annual operating revenue.

Tudor Place expresses gratitude to its lead sponsors including Washington Fine Properties, the Prince Charitable Trusts, Michael Rankin-TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, SR Evermay, Cooke & Bieler LLP and Tuckernuck. A full list of host committee members, family supporters and corporate partners can be found at https://tudorplace.org/join-and-give/spring-garden-party/ and https://tudorplace.org/join-and-give/spring-garden-party/sponsors/.

For tickets and information, please visit www.tudorplace.org/gp-tickets.

 

ABOUT TUDOR PLACE:  Tudor Place preserves the stories of six generations of descendants of Martha Washington, and the enslaved and free people who lived and worked here for nearly two centuries. By examining their legacy, we challenge ourselves and our visitors to celebrate the triumphs and to confront the complexities of the past.  Open Tuesday – Sunday for guided tours of the historic house and self-guided garden visits. www.tudorplace.org.

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Tudor Place Honored for Ancestral Spaces Program

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Culture | April 9, 2025 | By The Georgetown Dish

Tudor Place Historic House & Garden has been honored with the prestigious Outstanding Public History Project Award by the National Council on Public History (NCPH) for the groundbreaking 2024 installation and tour, Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place. This award recognizes innovative work that contributes to a broader public reflection of the past and serves as a model of professional public history practice. Recognition for this guided tour experience was made possible through generous funding from an Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Inspire! Grant. This funding underscores the incredible impact grants have on our ability to serve residents of the DMV, visitors from the United States and those from around the world.

For ten months of 2024, Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place was the guided tour experience presented at the federal-style mansion and garden known for its familial ties to Martha Washington. The NCPH award committee was impressed by the museum’s commitment to challenge the power dynamics inherent in the historic house through the experiences and voices of its enslaved. Rather than including these perspectives as a supplement, Curator Rob DeHart collaborated with the descendant community and the Ancestral Spaces Advisory Committee, to fundamentally reimagine the traditional house tour, from the portraits on the walls to the tableware reconstructed from pottery shards. The award committee noted that the high quality of research and innovative interpretation could serve as a model for other sites with equally complex histories. “The popularity of Ancestral Spaces showed that visitors desire a critical authentic retelling of the past. It made Tudor Place welcoming to people who often do not see their histories represented,” said Mr. DeHart, who accepted the award on behalf of Tudor Place at the NCPH annual meeting in Montreal, Quebec on March 29, 2025.

In these challenging times, where threats of funding cuts loom large, it is critical to understand the role grants play in fostering innovation, preserving cultural heritage and providing resources to underserved populations. The Inspire! Grant is a direct reflection of the transformative impact that thoughtful investment in grants has on organizations, their projects and the communities they serve.

To read the full article at the Georgetown Dish, click here.

Press Release: Tudor Place Honored with Prestigious Outstanding Public History Project Award

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Press Release 

April 8, 2025

 

Contact

Janet Wall

Director of Development & Communications

press@tudorplace.org | 202-580-7323                                                                           

  

WASHINGTON, DC – Tudor Place Historic House & Garden has been honored with the prestigious Outstanding Public History Project Award by the National Council on Public History (NCPH) for the groundbreaking 2024 installation and tour, Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place. This award recognizes innovative work that contributes to a broader public reflection of the past and serves as a model of professional public history practice. Recognition for this guided tour experience was made possible through generous funding from an Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Inspire! Grant. This funding underscores the incredible impact grants have on our ability to serve residents of the DMV, visitors from the United States and those from around the world.

 

For ten months of 2024, Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place was the guided tour experience presented at the federal-style mansion and garden known for its familial ties to Martha Washington. The NCPH award committee was impressed by the museum’s commitment to challenge the power dynamics inherent in the historic house through the experiences and voices of its enslaved. Rather than including these perspectives as a supplement, Curator Rob DeHart collaborated with the descendant community and the Ancestral Spaces Advisory Committee, to fundamentally reimagine the traditional house tour, from the portraits on the walls to the tableware reconstructed from pottery shards. The award committee noted that the high quality of research and innovative interpretation could serve as a model for other sites with equally complex histories. “The popularity of Ancestral Spaces showed that visitors desire a critical authentic retelling of the past. It made Tudor Place welcoming to people who often do not see their histories represented,” said Mr. DeHart, who accepted the award on behalf of Tudor Place at the NCPH annual meeting in Montreal, Quebec on March 29, 2025.

 

In these challenging times, where threats of funding cuts loom large, it is critical to understand the role grants play in fostering innovation, preserving cultural heritage and providing resources to underserved populations. The Inspire! Grant is a direct reflection of the transformative impact that thoughtful investment in grants has on organizations, their projects and the communities they serve.

 

Grants provided by IMLS are vital in enabling organizations like Tudor Place and other small museums to achieve meaningful progress in education, arts and culture, and history and heritage. Without the financial support from these programs, many important projects that benefit local communities, enrich cultural awareness, and advance education, would simply not be possible.

 

As we celebrate this achievement, we are reminded of the continued importance of advocating for strong federal support for grant programs. With funding from IMLS and other key initiatives, Tudor Place can continue to grow, thrive and make a lasting difference. We urge community members, neighbors, friends and partners to voice support for these essential programs that enable organizations like ours, to succeed in making a meaningful impact today and for future generations to come.

 

Excerpts of stories and audio recordings from Ancestral Spaces, can be accessed on Tudor Place’s guide on the Bloomberg Connects app, a free download from Google Play or the Apple app store. For more information, please visit https://www.bloombergconnects.org/guides/.

 

Open Tuesday – Sunday for guided tours of the historic house and self-guided garden visits. Advance registration highly recommended.

 

ABOUT TUDOR PLACE HISTORIC HOUSE & GARDEN. Tudor Place preserves the stories of six generations of descendants of Martha Washington, and the enslaved and free people who lived and labored here. By examining their legacy, we challenge ourselves and our visitors to celebrate the triumphs and to confront the complexities of the past. For more information, please visit www.tudorplace.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or LinkedIn.

 

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES (IMLS) Inspire! Grants for Small Museums is a special initiative of the Museums for America program. It is designed to support small museums of all disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, policy development and institutional planning, technology enhancements, professional development, community outreach, audience development, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation. Inspire! has three program objectives: lifelong learning, institutional capacity and collections stewardship and access. For more information, please visit https://www.imls.gov/.

 

ABOUT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON PUBLIC HISTORY (NCPH) which inspires public engagement with the past and serves the needs of practitioners in putting history to work in the world by building community among historians, expanding professional skills and tools, fostering critical reflection on historical practice, and publicly advocating for history and historians. For more information, please visit https://ncph.org/.

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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

Press Release: Tudor Place Reopens: The Camp Stool Is Back!

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Press Release 

February 6, 2025                                                                         

 

Washington, DC – Tudor Place Historic House & Garden is excited to announce its reopening to the public this week, following a month-long hiatus for essential maintenance and cleaning. As the only historic house in the District with direct ties to George and Martha Washington, Tudor Place offers a unique glimpse into America’s founding era, housing the largest collection of Washington-related objects outside of Mount Vernon.

This season, visitors will be able to witness a significant moment in history with the return of a treasured artifact: the original Revolutionary War-era camp stool, a rare piece of history that was recently part of the exhibition Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent at the Museum of the American Revolution. The stool was one of eighteen made for Washington’s encampment and is only one of two, known to have survived. The second stool is housed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Now back in its rightful place at Tudor Place, the camp stool is on display in the parlor of the historic house, offering visitors a chance to see a tangible connection to the nation’s Revolutionary past. This rare artifact’s return is a remarkable moment for both history enthusiasts and the public alike, reaffirming Tudor Place’s vital role in preserving and sharing America’s rich heritage.

In addition to this exciting return, Tudor Place is debuting a new guided tour titled Tangled Roots: Families of Tudor Place. This tour builds upon the success of last year’s innovative installation and tour, Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent at Tudor Place and explores the lives and legacies of the multi-generational Black and white families who shaped this iconic Georgetown estate. The tour aims to spark conversations around race, social justice and historical accountability.

Tangled Roots is part of an expanding series of public programs that includes a six-part lecture series, Rooted in History, as well as special exhibitions in the spring and fall. Tudor Place is proud to offer a variety of ongoing educational experiences for families and children.

The return of the camp stool and the introduction of Tangled Roots signal Tudor Place’s continued commitment to preserving and sharing America’s complex history, while fostering important dialogue around race and identity. We invite visitors to step back in time, engage with the past and consider how history shapes our lives today.

For the full calendar of events and programs, go to tudorplace.org/calendar.

 

ABOUT TUDOR PLACE:  Tudor Place preserves the stories of six generations of descendants of Martha Washington, and the enslaved and free people who lived and labored here for two centuries. By examining their legacy, we challenge ourselves and our visitors to celebrate the triumphs and to confront the complexities of the past. Open Tuesday – Sunday for guided tours of the historic house and self-guided garden visits. www.tudorplace.org.

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Snowy picture of historic house from south side - Temple Portico included

 

Contact

Janet Wall

Director of Development & Communications

press@tudorplace.org | 202-580-7323

Barbara Pope Was a Civil Rights Activist Who Refused to Give Up Her Seat on a Segregated Train

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TEEN VOGUE _ BY ROB DEHART, TUDOR PLACE CURATOR

Almost 50 years before Rosa Parks defied segregation laws on an Alabama bus, another civil rights activist, Barbara Pope, refused to leave the “whites only” compartment of a passenger train, sued the railroad, and won. Her bold act had a ripple effect on the Civil Rights Movement, changing the strategy of activists working to undo Jim Crow-era segregation in the 20th century.

Read the full article here:

Press Release: Tudor Place Featured Among Historic Houses for Washington Winter Show’s 70th Anniversary

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Press Release 

January 7, 2025

 

WASHINGTON, DC – To mark the Washington Winter Show’s seventieth anniversary, the 2025 loan exhibition draws from the collections of seven of the most important historic houses in the nation. Preservation Pioneers will focus on the history of the individual houses and how the institutions that have saved and preserved them have had a lasting impact on the fields of collecting and historic preservation. These houses represent a sweep of more than two centuries of American history. They include: Anderson House; Gunston Hall; Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens; George Washington’s Mount Vernon; Stratford Hall; Tudor Place Historic House & Garden and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library. Each house has a unique preservation story—beginning with the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association’s pioneering work in the 1850s—but collectively these historic institutions offer insights and inspiration to private collectors, curators, designers and preservationists who seek to preserve the future of our past.

A selection of items from the Tudor Place Collection & Archive illustrates the methods the Peter family used to document their family heirlooms throughout two centuries of residence. Each object comes with a note written by one of the members of the family identifying the object’s significance. Tudor Place was previously featured in the 2010 Washington Winter Show exhibition, Tudor Place: Six Generations of Style.

One of the items included in the exhibition is a Sèvres teacup and saucer from a service originally owned by George Washington, whose step-granddaughter, Martha Peter, was the first owner of Tudor Place. Tudor Place was the home of six descendants of Martha Washington and has the largest collection of Washington objects outside of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The teacup and saucer have a handwritten paper label written by Armistead Peter Jr., Martha’s grandson and the third owner of Tudor Place, demonstrating Martha’s descendants’ dedication to preserving their family’s legacy. Tudor Place became a National Historic Landmark in 1960 due to the efforts of its final owner, Armistead Peter 3rd, and opened to the public in October 1988.

These items will be on display at the Washington Winter Show, beginning with preview night on Thursday, January 9 and continuing through January 12 at the Katzen Arts Center at American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20016. Purchase tickets here: https://www.washingtonwintershow.org/purchase-tickets

ABOUT TUDOR PLACE HISTORIC HOUSE & GARDEN: Tudor Place preserves the stories of six generations of descendants of Martha Washington, and the enslaved and free people who lived and labored here. By examining their legacy, we challenge ourselves and our visitors to celebrate the triumphs and to confront the complexities of the past. Open Tuesday – Sunday for guided tours of the historic house and self-guided garden visits. For more information, please visit www.tudorplace.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or LinkedIn.

ABOUT WASHINGTON WINTER SHOW: The Washington Winter Show, The Washington Antiques Show, was founded in 1954-55, is the second oldest charitable antiques show in the United States. Steeped in history and hosted within the modern walls of American University’s Katzen Arts Center in Washington, DC, the Winter Show features more dealers from across the United States and Europe, offering a broad range of exquisite antiques and fine arts. The Show raises funds for local charities benefitting at-risk children and families through services provided by Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys, Building Bridges Across the River and St. John’s Community Services. For more information please visit: https://www.washingtonwintershow.org/.

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Contact

Janet Wall

Director of Development & Communications

press@tudorplace.org | 202-580-7323

10 Things to Do in Georgetown this Holiday Season

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Written by Kate Oczypok | Published on 

If you’re in town this holiday and have some time off, now is the perfect time to enjoy Georgetown. From ice skating at Washington Harbour to live jazz at Blues Alley and much more, here are 10 options for festive fun in Georgetown.

Read the full article here.

Press Release: Tudor Place Wins MAAM’s, Making an Impact Award

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Press Release 

October 15, 2024

 

WASHINGTON, DC – The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) awarded Tudor Place with the Making an Impact Award on October 9 during the Association’s 2024 Annual Meeting at the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Accepting the award on behalf of the organization was Curator Rob DeHart and Development Manager Jessica Zaluzec. This award honors museums and institutions for developing either a program, exhibition or special project that displays responsiveness and resourcefulness and has resulted in creative change for their organizations and a positive impact on their communities.

The award highlights Tudor Place’s special installation and guided tour Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent in Tudor Place that was launched in February. The traditional historic house tour was re-imagined, allowing visitors the chance to see the site through the eyes of the enslaved and free individuals for whom the historic house was both home and workplace. The tour makes use of audio recordings, maps, artifacts and photographs to reveal how these individuals found ways to practice resistance and activism while navigating the irreparable traumas that came from the institution of slavery. Curated in collaboration with descendants, this tour has successfully expanded and diversified the museum’s visitor community, bringing in visitors of all ages and backgrounds to experience the history being explored and to participate in dialogue around race and social justice. Reservations for Ancestral Spaces recommended, but not required at: https://tudorplace.org/visit/plan-your-visit-2/.

ABOUT TUDOR PLACE: Tudor Place preserves the stories of six generations of descendants of Martha Washington, and the enslaved and free people who lived and worked here. By examining their legacy, we challenge ourselves and our visitors to celebrate the triumphs and to confront the complexities of the past. Open Tuesday – Sunday for guided tours of the historic house and self-guided garden visits. For more information, please visit www.tudorplace.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or LinkedIn.

ABOUT MAAM: The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) is a not-for-profit membership organization, founded in 1947. MAAM represents museum professionals, organizations, institutions and museum service providers, providing a forum to enhance the image of museums and educate individuals on an array of field specific study and programs in the area of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. MAAM is recognized as a regional association by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). For additional information, please visit: https://midatlanticmuseums.org/

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Contact

Janet Wall

Director of Development & Communications

press@tudorplace.org | 202-580-7323

Tudor Place Winner of MAAM Impact Award

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The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Announces its 2024 Award Recipients

The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) announced the 2024 Award recipients today.  MAAM acknowledges that museums are made up of strong and active teams that work together to achieve lasting impact in their communities. To that end, the Making an Impact Award honors museums and institutions as a whole for developing either a program, exhibition, or special project that displays responsiveness and resourcefulness and have resulted in creative change for their organizations and a positive impact on their communities. MAAM is pleased to recognize three such institutions at this year’s annual meeting.

The third recipient of the Making an Impact Award is Tudor Place Historic House & Garden for its guided tour program: Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent in Tudor Place. The tour brings into focus the lives of enslaved people and laborers, who are so often misrepresented in historical narratives or omitted altogether. The program has successfully expanded and diversified the Museum’s visitor community, bringing in people eager to experience the history being explored and to participate in dialogue around race and social justice.

Curator Rob DeHart and Development Manager Jessica Zaluzec will accept the award at the ceremony in Philadelphia on October 9, 2024.

MAAM is pleased to celebrate all of its award recipients.

 

About the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums

The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1947 to represent museum professionals, organizations, institutions, museum service providers, and industry partners in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. MAAM provides a forum to enhance the image of museums and educate individuals on an array of field-specific study and programs.  MAAM brings together the resources and leaders of the Mid-Atlantic’s museum community through conferences, symposia, and workshops to spark dialogue among industry professionals. While it always  focuses on building sustainable and inclusive museums for their communities, MAAM’s programming evolves with the needs of the field. The Annual Meeting is a member-driven forum to allow for opportunities to network and share ideas. MAAM’s Building Museums™ Symposium is unique among museum conferences in offering programming tailored for those who plan or implement new construction, renovation, or expansion projects for museums.