Tudor Place
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Tudor Place
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South façade.
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| Location | 1644 31st Street, NW Washington, D.C. |
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| Coordinates | 38°54′38.91″N 77°3′48.02″W / 38.9108083°N 77.0633389°WCoordinates: 38°54′38.91″N 77°3′48.02″W / 38.9108083°N 77.0633389°W |
| Area | 5.5 acres |
| Built | 1815 |
| Architect | Dr. William Thornton |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000871 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
Tudor Place is a Federal-style mansion in Washington, D.C. that was originally the home of Thomas Peter and his wife,Martha Parke Custis Peter, a granddaughter of Martha Washington. Step-grandfather George Washington left her the $8,000 in his will that was used to purchase the property in 1805. The property, comprising one city block on the crest of Georgetown Heights, had an excellent view of the Potomac River.
From George Washington's 1799 will, Martha Parke Custis Peter, received $8,000 (equivalent to $134,000 in present-day terms). From Martha Washington's will, Martha Parke Custis Peter inherited 90 enslaved people. Her husband, Thomas Peter, may have used her $8,000 inheritance as well as money gained from selling many of the enslaved people Martha inherited in order to purchase the property that would become Tudor Place in 1805. They contracted with Dr. William Thornton, who also designed the United States Capitol as well as The Octagon House, to design Tudor Place. The decorations included four chair-cushions embroidered by Martha Washington in 1801 "executed upon coarse canvas in a design of shells, done in brown and yellow wools, the highlights being flecked in gold-colored silk" as well as a decorative cover for a bed whose trimmings also were embroidered by Martha Washington.
A previous owner of the property had begun improvements by building what are now the house's wings. Thornton then provided the central structure and the joining elements to the wings, combining them with buff-colored stucco over brick. The "temple" porch and supporting columns provide a most striking addition to the front. The gardens and the historic house museum's collections are as rich and interesting as the home itself. A focal point is the collection of over 100 objects that belonged to George and Martha Washington, making Tudor Place the largest public depository of objects belonging to the first Presidential family outside of Historic Mount Vernon.
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