Washington Old Hall the ancestral home of the first president of the USA celebrates 70 years welcoming visitors
Washington Old Hall, the ancestral home of George Washington, the first president of the United States of America, has this weekend celebrated 70 years of opening its doors to the public.
Now owned by the National Trust, the Hall was opened to the public for the first time on 28 September 1955 by the American Ambassador, Winthrop W. Aldrich.
To mark the occasion, the National Trust has created a pop-up interactive display to chronicle its seven decade journey of welcoming visitors from both sides of the Atlantic.
A spokesperson for the National Trust said: “Since opening, the Hall has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors and served as a space for learning, celebration and community.
“To mark this milestone, the National Trust is hosting a pop-up display featuring images and audio clips from the Hall’s history.
“Memories include the Princess Royal’s visit to the Hall in July 1975 and local people’s special memories of the Hall and the surrounding Washington Village.”
From a medieval manor house to an overcrowded 19th century tenement building, the Hall has housed both the richest and poorest of the community over its colourful history.
After falling into disrepair in the 19th century, the Hall was saved from demolition in 1937 by a local Preservation Committee.
Through the passion and dedication of the local community and generous donors from both the UK and US, the Committee managed to raise the funds they needed to restore Washington Old Hall to its former glory.
The pop-up display will run until November 2 where you can make a contribution by creating your own postcard from the past.
You can also record your own memories of the Old Hall with an an oral history recording session with Washington Heritage Partnership on Thursday October 30.
Further details are available on the Washington Old Hall website.