AWS Headquarters at the Historic
George Washington House

Join us for an Open House on September 18, 2008!

[Early House History] [The War of 1812] [Subsequent History]
[Architectural Significance] [Why This Building?]
[Contribute to AWS's House Fund!]

Constructed circa 1760 near the major international seaport at Colonial Bladensburg and the Old Colonial Post Road linking the cities of the early American South to their northern cousins, the George Washington House has been a fixture of the built environment along the Anacostia River (once known as the Eastern Branch of the Potomac) for nearly three centuries.  In 2003, the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) purchased the house for use as the organization’s permanent headquarters, opening a new and unique chapter in the building’s long history of public service to the Anacostia Port Towns of Bladensburg, Colmar Manor, Cottage City, and Edmonston.  AWS intends its tenure in this historic building to be as remarkable as those of its many predecessors.  With an eye toward furthering the George Washington House legacy and continuing to serve the local community, the organization completed a major historic restoration project on the building in May 2008.  In keeping with  its environmental mission, AWS took advantage of the renovation to add several low impact, environmentally-friendly design features to the building.  These additions will allow the George Washington House to serve as an example of our shared American future; as well as, our honored past.

Early History of the House

Not long after the founding of the Town of Bladensburg, Maryland, in 1748, local businessman Jacob Wirt chose to constructed a tavern, a blacksmith shop, and a general store along the town’s main thoroughfare.  Taking advantage of an abundance of commercial trade generated by the nearby seaport at Bladensburg; as well as, traffic heading north and south on the Old Colonial Post Road (now, U.S. Rt. 1), Wirt used his business to create an artifact that would become one of just a few windows on early American life along the Anacostia River extant today.  While only one of Wirt’s original buildings—his Brick Store—still stands, that rather humble structure (now known as the George Washington House) has garnered an amazing pedigree over the past 275 years.  Silent host and witness to an array of historic personages and events, it is,  in the 21st century, a site of not only local, but national importance.

As the name suggests, early notoriety was conferred upon the George Washington House by its association with the nation’s first president.  Letters and ledgers penned by a younger Washington make direct reference to visits made to Wirt’s Brick Store and the now-vanished Indian Queen Tavern on trips to and from Mt. Vernon.  While these all-too-brief descriptions speak to the settlement of outstanding debts and the quality of food served from the tavern’s kitchen, the then-future President is not known to have spent a single night under the roof that now bears his name.

Not long after Washington’s passing interest in the house as a site of commerce ceased, the story of one Peter Carnes— an early tenant (1777 to 1783) on Jacob Wirt’s property and one of the first proprietors of its three main businesses—picks up the tale.  Fascinated by early French attempts at lighter-than-air flight, Carnes became the first person to fly a hot air balloon (manned and unmanned) in the United States.  While his first attempts at tethered flight met with great success in the field outside the back door of the George Washington House, Carnes never recovered his nerve to fly again after crashing his machine at an exhibition in the City of Baltimore during the summer of 1794.

The War of 1812

While its association with early American commerce and aviation warrant considerable notice, the George Washington House may be known best for its connection with the 1814 Battle of Bladensburg during America’s Second War for Independence—The War of 1812. Few people were prepared when—after a series of American tactical blunders—seasoned British troops under the command of Major General Robert Ross occupied the Town of Bladensburg at noon on August 24, 1814.  Their sights set on invading the fledgling national capital in Washington, D.C., the British force dug in around the port and river crossing at Bladensburg before launching a final invasion of the city. 

Strategically positioned with respect to colonial forces defending the one and only bridge into the District of Columbia, royal soldiers seized the George Washington House, turning the grounds into an artillery battery.  The building suffered several direct hits from American guns during the few hours of bloody conflict that followed; however, it remained standing when the victorious British army decamped to burn the United States Capitol Building and the White House later that same night.

Although infamous as one of the nation’s most humiliating battlefield defeats, the Battle of Bladensburg left several important marks on American and military history.  The skirmish made a hero of Commodore Joshua Barney, whose small band of 400 sailors and Marines maintained a hand-to-hand defense of the Bladensburg Road hours after a larger force of poorly-trained American militiamen broke ranks and fled for Georgetown.  The British exploited circumstances at Bladensburg to conduct one of the first successful deployments of the dreaded Congreve Rocket—a device made recognizable to contemporary Americans as “the rockets’ red glare” in the fifth line of the Star-spangled Banner.  It was also the last time an American President—James Madison—rode onto a field of battle as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. armed forces.

Subsequent History of the House

After the War of 1812, the George Washington House maintained an important place in the everyday lives of local residents.  Thanks in part to its excellent location, a succession of important community businesses were established on the grounds.  In one of its many incarnations as a hotel and tavern, the house was thrust onto the national stage once again in the late 19th century when  populist Jacob Coxey and more than 500 unemployed Americans took up temporary residence following their historic protest march on the U.S. Capitol during the spring of 1894.  Coxey’s Army, as the protesters were known collectively, was so large that most members had to pitch tents in the yard surrounding the house.  Unfortunately, they were forced to leave when a heavy rainstorm touched off a flood on May 20, 1894.

The George Washington House experienced a slow decline throughout the 20th century.  As the decades wore on, its popularity as a place of commerce and residence waned until it was boarded up and left for demolition.  Thankfully, in 1972, the Prince George’s Jaycee’s recognized the building’s historic value in advance of the coming Bicentennial.  They restored much of the house’s 18th-century character, paving the way for successful application to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.  The Prince George’s County government also took notice of the newly-restored George Washington House.  Seeing its worth as an educational tool, the County turned the building into a house museum that remained operational for many years.  Following its tenure as a museum, the George Washington House was turned over to the Aman Trust (a charitable group named after one of the house’s previous owners).  Returned once again to commercial use in the 1990s, it was during this period that AWS first rented space in a portion of the building.  As its staff expanded and other tenants moved out, AWS’s leaders proposed purchasing the house from the Aman Trust during the years of the 21st century.  These inquiries eventually led to a transfer of ownership to the Anacostia Watershed Society during a small ceremony in 2003.

In 2004, AWS launched a major capital campaign to fund a new restoration of the George Washington House's historic features that also incorporated severla eco-friendly design element.  By 2007, that campaign—known as Raise the Rafters—had generated a total of $140,000 in public and private funds allowing restoration experts to break ground on the project in October of the same year.  After a short stay in temporary accommodations, the staff of AWS returned to the newly-restored George Washington House in May of 2008.  Visitors are welcome to stop by 4302 Baltimore Avenue for tours of the house and its ecologically-sensitive element Monday through Friday during regular business hours.

Architectural Significance

The only surviving structure from a complex of commercial buildings constructed by Jacob Wirt around 1760, the George Washington House stands today as one of only a handful of colonial-era area buildings in the Anacostia Port Towns area that retains much of its 18th-century character.  Two-and-one-half stories tall and five bays wide, the original portion of the house is set on a stone foundation and constructed of brick laid in a common bond style on the front and back facades, and Flemish bond on its two exterior end-gable (side) walls.  The chimneys (also of brick) at either end of the building may have been built to be free standing with respect to the original structure.

Windows and doorways on the east (front) façade demonstrate some of the house’s classically-inspired (Federal style, 1780-1830) architectural detailing.  A large opening on the second floor of this façade appears to be original according to a 1974 application to the National Register of Historic Places.  This unusual doorway hints at the earlier existence of a two-story, galleried front porch that was replaced by the current porch structure.  The first floor doorway on the east façade is notable for the unusual serpentine masonry appearing in its header.

While the west (back) façade of the historic structure is obscured by a large, two-story addition of 19th-century provenance, some of the original 18th-century brickwork is still visible inside the house where the two structures were joined together.  Two of the building’s original window piercings’ (now bricked in) on this side remain visible from inside the largest room on the second floor of the addition.  The house retains an unfinished (dirt floor) basement.

Why This Building?

With its long history of service to the Anacostia Port Town of Bladensburg, leaders at the Anacostia Watershed Society felt an affinity between the George Washington House and the organization’s orientation toward community service when they first occupied the building as tenants in 1997. Consequently, when chance afforded them an opportunity to purchase the property and establish permanent headquarters near the Anacostia River,  they jumped.  Becoming a permanent part of the George Washington House legacy in 2003, AWS saw that a clear need for repairs to the main house structure also opened a door for the organization to demonstrate its own commitment to the local community.  By restoring and renewing this important symbol of the region’s rich history and identity, AWS could do much to promote environmentally-sensitive economic development and help improve quality of life for all its Port Towns neighbors.  The conclusion of this latest historic renovation project in May of 2008—complete with its new, eco-friendly elements— represents the end of the first stage of the organization’s vision for the future of this important building.  As plans for the next stage of the house’s development begin,  AWS hopes to create a permanent, donor-driven fund for ongoing maintenance of the building and its grounds to ensure that the George Washington House’s service to the public continues for years to come.

George Washington House Open House: September 18, 2008

AWS celebrated the restoration of the George Washington House with a spectacular open house gala on September 18, 2008 from 6:00PM to 9:00PM. More than 200 people RSVPed to attend and take guided tours of this important 18th-century property. We had a fantastic time. We hope you did too!

Our Bricks to Blossoms Campaign took in more than $1,800.00 on the day bringing our campaign total to more than $6,000.00. Remember, we are trying to raise $100,000 to protect the future of the George Washington House and there is still time to contribute! Bricks to Blossoms will run until Fall 2009. You have plenty of time to become a permanent part of the George Washington House legacy by receiving your own engraved brick (details below). Just give us a call at 301-699-6204 for more details.

About the Bricks to Blossoms Campaign

Following completion of a major restoration project in early 2008, leaders at the Anacostia Watershed Society recognized an urgent need for ongoing preservation and upkeep of the organization's headquarters at the 18th-century George Washington House in Bladensburg, Maryland.

A local touchstone for national history and one of the few remaining colonial-era buildings in Maryland's Anacostia Port Towns area, the house has become a public showpiece and a hub of community activity. The Bricks to Blossoms campaign is AWS's vision to create a $100,000 endowment allowing the George Washington House to remain a vital part of history and community life along the Anacostia River for years to come.

We invite you to help us fulfill this vision of the future by making a contribution to the Bricks to Blossoms campaign. Your demonstration of generosity and civic-mindedness today will reward you with the opportunity to become a permanent part of the legacy that is the George Washington House and AWS.

To make real such a profound reward, AWS will purchase commemorative bricks for each person contributing $200 or more to the campaign. Once engraved with a name and personal message from each donor, each brick will be set into a garden path alongside the George Washington House for all to admire.

To contribute today, please call an AWS representative at 301-699-6204 or send an e-mail message detailing your donation request to info@anacostiaws.org.