Chestnut Grove (plantation)

Chestnut Grove plantation where Martha Washington, wife of George Washington, was born

Chestnut Grove was an 18th-century plantation house on the Pamunkey River near New Kent Court House in New Kent County, Virginia, United States. ^{[1] [2]} Chestnut Grove is best known as the birthplace of Martha Washington, ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} wife of George Washington, and the first First Lady of the United States. Martha Washington was born in the east room of the mansion. ^{[1] [4]}

History

The two-story frame house consisting of six rooms ^{[2] [4]} was originally built around 1730. ^[4] It was first inhabited by prominent Virginia planter John Dandridge and his wife Frances Jones. ^{[1] [2] [4]} The couple raised their eight children, including Martha Washington, there. ^{[1] [2] [4]} It was at Chestnut Grove that Martha married her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis, on 15 May 1750. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

In 1768, Martha Washington's younger brother Bartholomew Dandridge sold Chestnut Grove and its accompanying 500 acres (2.0 km²). ^[4] Colonel Richard Pye Cooke then purchased the mansion in 1840. ^[5] At that time, the Chestnut Grove estate contained 1,175 acres (4.76 km²). Unlike neighboring plantation homes, Chestnut Grove continued to serve as a residence for 200 years in its original state until it burned down in November 1926. ^{[2] [4]}

Architecture

Chestnut Grove's architectural details survive due to old photographs and sketches. ^[4] The mansion was a two-story frame structure with a hip roof and a chimney at either end. ^[4] It also contained a basement which ran the length of the mansion. ^[4] The interior of Chestnut Grove was plain and paneled in pine. ^[4]

References

1. Haugen, Brenda (2005). Martha Washington: First Lady of the United States. Compass Point Books. ISBN   0-7565-0983-1.
2. Virginia Department of Historic Resources. "Martha Washington's Birthplace". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
3. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (2009). "Martha Dandridge Custis Washington". The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
4. Bryan, Helen (2002). Martha Washington: First Lady of Liberty . Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ISBN   0-471-15892-5.
5. Philip J. Chamberlain, Ph.D. (July 13, 2003). "The Third Generation and Beyond: The Late 18th to the Mid-19th Century". The Chamberlaynes of Virginia. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-05.

37°31′3.2″N76°58′42.3″W / 37.517556°N 76.978417°W / 37.517556; -76.978417