George Washington House (Barbados)

Last updated
Exterior GEORGE WASHINGTON HOUSE - BARBADOS.jpg
Exterior
Interior GEORGE WASHINGTON HOUSE INTERIOR - BARBADOS.jpg
Interior

George Washington House in Barbados is a historic house where the future first U.S. President George Washington is alleged to have stayed in 1751.

Contents

He was 19 years old at the time and traveling with his half-brother, Lawrence Washington, who was suffering from tuberculosis. [1] George Washington contracted yellow fever during his stay, and was nursed back to health at the house. [1] Barbados apparently was the only country outside the present United States that George Washington ever visited. [2]

According to researchers at Founders Online, part of the U.S. National Archives, it is unlikely that this house was the one George Washington and his brother visited, as "it bears no resemblance to the architecture of the mid–1700s. Even if it had been standing in [George Washington]’s time, it could not have survived the devastating hurricanes of 1780 and 1831, which nearly destroyed Bridgetown and brought havoc to the entire island. Some credence was given the legend when an official historic sites committee in 1910 referred to the building as Crofton’s House and associated it with [Washington]. Tourist literature still designates the place 'the Washington House,' but the question of its authenticity has been disposed of by local historians." [3] The researchers cite an article by Neville Connell, 'Historic Sites Re-Visited: Crofton’s House', in Vol. 12, pages 208–11 of The Journal of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society (1945) as a reference. [4]

In 1997, during an official visit to Barbados with her husband, President Bill Clinton, First Lady Hillary Clinton unveiled a plaque outside the house that reads:

On the occasion of his visit to Barbados this plaque was presented by President William Jefferson Clinton to The Right Honourable Owen S. Arthur, Prime Minister, and to the People of Barbados in a spirit of friendship and goodwill which binds our two countries and in recognition that George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, lived in this house during his visit to this fair country in 1751. [5]

In 2011, the property was designated as a UNESCO protected property within the World Heritage Site of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison area. The house is owned and maintained by the Barbados National Trust. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Bridgetown Capital of Barbados

Bridgetown is the capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael. Bridgetown is sometimes locally referred to as "The City", but the most common reference is simply "Town". As of 2014, its metropolitan population stands at roughly 110,000.

Odenton, Maryland Census-designated place in Maryland, United States

Odenton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, located approximately 10–20 minutes from the state capital, Annapolis. The population was 37,132 at the 2010 census, up from 20,534 at the 2000 census. The town's population growth rate of 80.8% between 2000 and 2010 was the greatest of any town in western Anne Arundel County. Odenton is located west of Annapolis, south of Baltimore, and northeast of Washington.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Memorial in Washington, D.C., U.S.

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington D.C., dedicated to the memory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, and to the era he represents. The memorial is the second of two that have been constructed in Washington to commemorate that president.

Mount Gay Rum

Mount Gay Rum is produced by Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd. of Barbados, the easternmost island of the West Indies. The oldest surviving deed for the company is from 1703, making Mount Gay Rum the world's oldest commercial rum distillery. The current majority shareholder of Mount Gay Distilleries since 1989 is Rémy Cointreau. Mount Gay Rum is sold in 110 countries, and its primary export market is the United States of America.

Parliament of Barbados Barbadian legislature

The Parliament of Barbados is the national legislature of Barbados. It is accorded legislative supremacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados. The Parliament is bicameral in composition and is formally made up of two houses, an appointed Senate and an elected House of Assembly, as well as the President of Barbados who is indirectly elected by both. Both houses sit in separate chambers in the Parliament Buildings, in the national capital Bridgetown in Saint Michael.

The Garrison Savannah in the country of Barbados, is a horse racing venue located within the Garrison Historic Area, just outside the capital-city Bridgetown. A clockwise grass course, the Garrison Savannah is known internationally for the annual Barbados Gold Cup for Thoroughbreds which takes place on the six furlong track around the perimeter of the green.

Garrison Historic Area Old town

St. Ann's Garrison, or more commonly known as "The Garrison", is a small district located in the country of Barbados. This Garrison Historic Area is situated about 2 miles south of Heroes Square in the capital-city Bridgetown, and just west of the village of Hastings in the neighbouring parish of Christ Church. It is dominated by its historic horse race-track, located on the 30 acre parade ground called the Garrison Savannah. The Garrison area additionally contains many historic buildings including barracks for military personnel. The district is bisected by Highway 7, with Saint Ann's Fort, where the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) is based, lying to the west.

Index of Barbados-related articles Wikipedia list article

The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the nation of Barbados.

Nidhe Israel Synagogue

The Nidḥe Israel Synagogue is the only synagogue in Bridgetown, Barbados. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the Western hemisphere and a Barbados National Trust property. In 2011 the synagogue and excavated mikveh were designated as UNESCO protected properties within the World Heritage Site of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison area.

Barbados–United States relations Bilateral relations

The United States and Barbados have had cordial bilateral relations since Barbados' independence in 1966. The United States has supported the government's efforts to expand the country's economic base and to provide a higher standard of living for its citizens. Barbados is a beneficiary of the U.S. Caribbean Basin Initiative. U.S. assistance is channeled primarily through multilateral agencies such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) office in Bridgetown.

Outline of Barbados Overview of and topical guide to Barbados

The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to Barbados:

Mary M. Ourisman American diplomat

Mary Martin Ourisman is an American political consultant who served as U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, comprising the countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Mary was married to "Bubba" Johnson, and Steve Stiles previously.

First inauguration of George Washington 1st United States presidential inauguration

The first inauguration of George Washington as the first president of the United States was held on Thursday, April 30, 1789 on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, New York. The inauguration was held nearly two months after the beginning of the first four-year term of George Washington as President. Chancellor of New York Robert Livingston administered the presidential oath of office. With this inauguration, the executive branch of the United States government officially began operations under the new frame of government established by the 1787 Constitution. The inauguration of John Adams as Vice President was on April 21, 1789, when he assumed his duties as presiding officer of the United States Senate.

Chamberlain Bridge

The Chamberlain Bridge is a bridge in Bridgetown, the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. In 1872, it was a swing bridge across the marine inlet channel of the inner basin of the Careenage at Carlisle Bay. The outmoded steel structure was dismantled and rebuilt in 2005–2006 as a lifting bridge with the state-of the-art modern technology of an all-composite single-leaf bascule design. This design is a counterweighted bridge span that pivots upward, permitting pleasure craft to pass through an inlet channel. The bridge was built using fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), which is lighter, long lasting and non-corrosive.

Parliament Buildings (Barbados)

The Parliament Buildings, is the seat of the Parliament of Barbados. Built between 1870 and 1874, the buildings have been the meeting place for both chambers of Parliament since 16 June 1874, and a former site of Colonial administration of Barbados. It consists of two buildings in the neo-Gothic architectural style, and are reminiscent of the Victorian era of Great Britain.

Queen's Park is a national park in Barbados. The park was the former home of the Commander of the British Troops stationed in Barbados for the West Indies. Situated in the northeastern segment of the capital city Bridgetown, the park's borders are roughly Roebuck and Crumpton Streets to the north and west, and Halls and Constitution Roads located east and south. It shares parts of its grounds with Harrison College and the Headquarters of the Barbados Transport Board. Like some of the island's other national parks, Queen's Park remains a site of historic interest.

All Barbadian citizens are covered by universal health care at polyclinics and one general hospital. Barbados was placed 37th of 187 countries surveyed, in the Human Development Index. According to the 2019 World Bank Data, the life expectancy at birth in Barbados was 79 for men and 82 for women.

University of the West Indies at Cave Hill

University of the West Indies at Cave Hill is a public research university in Cave Hill, Barbados. It is one of 5 general campuses in the University of the West Indies system.

Henry Drax

Henry Drax of Ellerton Abbey, Yorkshire and Charborough, near Wareham, Dorset was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1718 and 1755.

Barbados–Mexico relations Bilateral relations

Barbados–Mexico relations refers to the diplomatic relations between Barbados and the United Mexican States. Both nations are members of the Association of Caribbean States, Organization of American States and the United Nations.

References

  1. 1 2 "Founders Online", National Archives
  2. "New Take on George Slept Here". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016.
  3. "The Washingtons in Barbados". Founders Online. National Archives. n.d. Retrieved 30 Nov 2021.
  4. "Note 18". Founders Online. National Archives. n.d. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  5. "George Washington House Restoration Project in Barbados". Archived from the original on 2012-04-17. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
  6. Guide, Barbados.org Travel. "George Washington House, Barbados". www.barbados.org.

Coordinates: 13°04′55″N59°36′24″W / 13.08194°N 59.60667°W / 13.08194; -59.60667