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| Above and Below are photos of the bedroom of George and Martha Washington. The desk was Martha's bought in Philadelphia. There are two closets, one was for clothing and the other was used by Martha to store valuables. Most precious were spices and bed linens. Bed Sheets were labor and materials intensive to make before the industrial revolution. They were numbered and she kept meticulous records of who handled each one and where they were used. |
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| Some years the Washington's hosted over 600 overnight guests, the house was large, but at times full. This space had originally been a storage room between bedrooms on the second floor, it was converted to be used as an overflow bedroom. It was the only guest room without a fireplace. |
I want the yellow canopy bed (although they’d have to make it at least a foot longer). I haven’t been there since the ’80s. So cool to see.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to go back, I have guest passes.
DeleteIs that the ghost of George Washington's valet in the fifth picture? He looks like a shifty character to me.
ReplyDeleteSilly man!
DeleteMeticulous record keeping about sheets sounds a bit OCD to me.
ReplyDeleteBut what an interesting house.
The small dining room painted in green looks awful. The bedroom in the final photo looks so warm and inviting.
The dark green was very much a color of the time. It was an expensive color the pigment was oxidized copper.
DeleteMartha seems particular and persnickety.
ReplyDeleteThe green dining room is a bold choice.
And I wonder how they decided who got the bland room without the fireplace.
Probably social rank. Lafayette reported in a letter that he had the best room, the only guest room with two windows.
DeleteThanks for the peek inside! Such a lovely home.
ReplyDeleteThey are almost finished with a massive restoration.
DeleteThat green paint is ghastly, though I know it was a popular color at the time. (Often poisonous, if I remember correctly.)
ReplyDeleteSome of the wallpapers were treated with arsenic
DeleteYou are fortunate to live close to so much fascinating history.
ReplyDeleteIt was a good choice, expensive but close to so much.
DeleteThanks for sharing the photos.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely place!
We all have wonderful places around us.
DeleteWell, I learned something new about the value of bedsheets and linens before the industrial revolution, thanks! I'm home now from my recent road trip and back to daily blogging again.
ReplyDeleteIt was the first time I had heard this explained.
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