Docent-Led House Tours May 9, 2009

Thomas Peter, son of the first mayor of Georgetown, and his wife Martha Custis, granddaughter of Martha Washington, purchased an 8 1/2-acre city lot in 1805 with an $8,000 legacy from George Washington. A grand residence was designed by Dr. William Thornton, a self-taught architect, on the land to overlook the Potomac River. During 179 years of single-family ownership, an impressive collection of European and American decorative arts was amassed. Highlights include over 100 objects originally belonging to George and Martha Washington, an outstanding 19th-century American silver collection, and an extraordinary porcelain collection. An extensive collection of furniture, glassware, sculpture, portraits, prints, and textiles tell the story of each generation.