Mary Washington House

10/24/2026

10/23/2026

🎀 Only 1 week left! Be sure to stop by the Mary Washington House and participate in Mary’s Ribbons, a meaningful program honoring and remembering those who have battled breast cancer. Tie a ribbon yourself or let us tie one for you (see link below).

https://washingtonheritagemuseums.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/mary-s-ribbons-project-2026

10/21/2026

We’re grateful to everyone who attended our special Tea Talk on women in historic preservation—and especially to public historian Amanda Roper for sharing how women have protected America’s historic places and cultural heritage.

From quietly saving letters and wallpaper fragments to leading major fundraising efforts—even before women had the right to vote—women have long worked behind the scenes to safeguard the landmarks, voices, identities, and experiences that connect past and present. Amanda brought this legacy to life through stories of preservation at the Bunker Hill Monument, Charleston’s historic district, Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and the Mary Washington House. We look forward to Amanda’s upcoming book, which will further detail the important story of women’s involvement in America's preservation efforts.

We also extend a heartfelt thank-you to our Tea Talk volunteers for the delicious food and warm hospitality. Volunteers wore pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and created pink-ribbon napkin rings so attendees could tie a ribbon on the Lewis Street fence as part of our Mary’s Ribbons program. 🎀 Thank you for an unforgettable day!

10/15/2026

We would like to thank all the talented artists, skilled craftsmen, and generous businesses who contributed to our Bourbon and Boxwood Silent Auction.

A special thank you goes out to Michelle Newton-Francis, who, once again, made the Silent Auction such a success. Her dedication and hard work played a crucial role in bringing together such an amazing array of items.

Thank you once again for your generosity and support!

10/14/2026

The past and present blend seamlessly in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a small town just over an hour from Washington, D.C. History is all around, but the town is just as alive with antique shops, art galleries, and farm-to-table dining.

10/13/2026

"In the noisy warmth of the tavern, as mugs of c***r clinked and voices rose in talk of liberty, the humble ham biscuit became something greater than food. It was Virginia's welcome to soldier and statesman alike—a small, flaky pledge that the Revolution was sustained not only on battlefields, but at the hearths and tables of ordinary people." —Excerpt from "Lost Recipes of the American Revolution" by Elizabeth Winslow.

🎫TICKETS for November's Tea Talk at the Rising Sun Tavern are now on sale!

DATE: Tuesday, November 10th
TIMES: 11:00 a.m. and 2 p.m.
PLACE: Rising Sun Tavern
TOPIC: Lost Recipes of the American Revolution
GUEST SPEAKER: Elizabeth Winslow

Image: Tavern room at the Rising Sun Tavern

https://washingtonheritagemuseums.networkforgood.com/events/106071-tea-talk-lost-recipes-of-the-american-revolution

10/12/2026

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our Bourbon and Boxwood sponsors!

Our 11th annual event was our most successful yet, setting records for funds raised, sponsorships secured, and tickets sold. Because of you, Washington Heritage Museums can continue to care for five historic sites and advance our mission to preserve, educate, and inspire.

Thank you for helping make this remarkable year possible!

10/09/2026

History is on the menu at our next Tea Talk!

Join us at the Rising Sun Tavern as we welcome historian Elizabeth Winslow, author of the book, "Lost Recipes of the American Revolution." Along with our regular tea menu, guests will also sample several recipes from the book as Elizabeth brings the era to life through the stories of the soldiers, tavern keepers, women, enslaved cooks, and families whose experiences were reflected in the food of the period. Discover how tea culture shaped daily life before and during the Revolution, explore the social divide between Patriots and Loyalists, and hear real historical voices woven into a blend of culinary history and storytelling.

📅 Tuesday, November 10
🕚 11 a.m. or 2 p.m.
📍 Rising Sun Tavern Museum

MEET OUR SPEAKER
Elizabeth Winslow is a historical nonfiction author who brings overlooked voices of early America to life through archival research and engaging storytelling. She is the author of "Lost Letters of the American Revolution" and "Lost Recipes of the American Revolution." Her most recent book, "When Loyalty Was Treason," was just published in October of 2026. Winslow has also written the historical novel "Ashes to Liberty," and writes children’s fables exploring virtue, sacrifice, and moral clarity.

Special thanks to the historic Ironclad Inn for supporting our Tea Talk series. Traveling from outside Fredericksburg—or planning a special local getaway? The Ironclad Inn offers beautiful overnight accommodations just a couple of blocks from the Rising Sun Tavern.

🎟 Tickets for this event will go on sale this Monday, October 12th at 9 a.m.

For more information or to purchase tickets, follow the link below:
https://washingtonheritagemuseums.networkforgood.com/events/106071-tea-talk-lost-recipes-of-the-american-revolution

IMAGE: Banquet room at the Rising Sun Tavern

10/08/2026

As we raise awareness this month with Mary's Ribbons, we pause to remember that breast cancer also claimed the life of Mary Washington, the mother of our nation's first president. In the summer of 1789: Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote to Dr. Elisha Hall with advice in regard to Mary's breast cancer. She passed away approximately 7 weeks later. The letter appears below:

"The respectable age [80] and character of your venerable patient lead me to regret that it is not in my power to suggest a remedy for the cure of the disorder you have described in her breast. I know nothing of the root that you mention is found in Carolina and Georgia, but from a variety of inquiries and experiments I am disposed to believe that there does not exist in the vegetable kingdom an antidote to cancers. All the supposed vegetable remedies I have heard of are compounds of some mineral caustics. The arsenic is the most powerful of any of them. It is the basis of Dr. Martin’s powder. I have used it in many cases with success, but have failed in some. From your account of Mrs. Washington’s breast, I am afraid no great good can be expected from the use of it. Perhaps it may cleanse it and thereby re**rd its spreading. You may try it, diluted in water. Continue the application of o***m and camphor, and wash it frequently with a decoction of red clover. Give anodynes when necessary, and support the system with bark and w**e. Under this treatment, she may live comfortably many years and finally die of old age.”

As our friends at Family Adventures VA so eloquently pointed out, "Behind every ribbon is a story, a person and a family." Let’s come together in support, remembrance, and hope—honoring Mary Washington and all those who have faced this disease with courage. During the month of October, we invite you to visit the Mary Washington House to prepare your complimentary ribbon, or reserve one on-line (link below) and we'll tie it on for you!

MARY'S RIBBONS: https://washingtonheritagemuseums.networkforgood.com/projects/306858-mary-s-ribbons-2026

LETTER: https://www.mountvernon.org/blog/2018/10/mary-ball-washington-s-battle-with-breast-cancer/

IMAGES:
- “Mary Ball Washington at the age of about four-score.” Portrait by Robert Edge Pine, c. 1916. Library of Congress. There are no known life images of Mary Ball Washington. All images are conjectural works of art.
- Photos of Mary's Ribbons program in previous years at the Mary Washington House.