Existing comment:
The President's House Site 1790-1800:
President George Washington called the elegant three-story brick mansion that once stood on this spot [where the visitor center is now] "the best single house in the city." Both Presidents Washington (1790-1797) and John Adams (1797-1800) lived and worked in this house, which was rented from financier Robert Morris. Washington's large household, including enslaved African descendents, contrasted with Adams' small household. Adams never owned slaves.
The President's house in the 1790s was a mirror of the young republic, reflecting both the ideals and contradictions of the new nation. The house stood in the shadow of Independence Hall, where the words "All men are created equal" and "We the People" were adopted, but they did not apply to all who lived in the new United States of America.
Independence National Historical Park is working with the community to interpret the President's House Site and to commemorate the enslaved African descendents who lived and toiled there. A permanent exhibit will be created on this open site near the entrance to the Liberty Bell Center.
Records show that Washington and his family slept over the kitchen. His servants, including the enslaved African descendents, slept in the former smokehouse and throughout the property. Adams left no record of how he used the house.
Hercules, Washington's enslaved cook, presided in the kitchen and was considered one of the best chefs in America. In 1797, Hercules successfully seized his freedom. With the help of Philadelphia's large free African community, Oney Judge, Martha Washington's enslaved servant, escaped to freedom from here. |