Postcards were a staple of vacations. Collected and sent back to friends and family so they could be part of your adventures. Many of us can remember trying to pick up postcards on the first day of vacation to get them in the mail quickly so they would arrive back home before you. Postcards were … Continue reading Wish You Were Here: Historical Documentation Through Postcards
Kenmore Association
New Kids on the Block: The 20th-Century Houses of Kenmore Court
When you visit Historic Kenmore today, you will find a preserved city block with gardens and pathways reaching from front to back. The tranquil estate is only interrupted by two other houses along Lewis Street, hidden behind a tree line. These buildings remain the only surviving evidence of a time when Kenmore’s block was almost … Continue reading New Kids on the Block: The 20th-Century Houses of Kenmore Court
Pull Over!! The Virginia Highway Historical Markers of The George Washington Foundation
As you drive down the road, sometimes, there are enough signs to make your head spin. It can be tempting to just drive by these stark white cast iron road markers with black text when you see them. Even so, sometimes you can’t help but let a word or a phrase catch your eye, sparking … Continue reading Pull Over!! The Virginia Highway Historical Markers of The George Washington Foundation
Slides That Saved Kenmore
On January 1, 1925, a group of well-dressed women in hats and long fur coats assembled at Kenmore to hand over the final $1,000 payment and gain full possession of the house and land. This meeting was the culmination of thirty-two months of persistent work and determination by the ladies of The Kenmore Association to … Continue reading Slides That Saved Kenmore
Cooking up holiday treats: Gingerbread and Flip
This year at our annual Twelfth-Night celebrations, visitors could enter the kitchen for a short lecture and demonstration. The archaeology and curatorial teams gave the talks to explain two important food items that play a part in Kenmore's history and the holiday, gingerbread and flip. Our first demonstration was done by Emma Schlauder, Research Archaeologist … Continue reading Cooking up holiday treats: Gingerbread and Flip
A Short and Sweet History of the Gingerbread House
If you visit George Washington's Ferry Farm this December, you'll be greeted by the sweet smell of spiced gingerbread as soon as you walk through the door! During our annual Gingerbread House Contest and Exhibit, our gallery space is transformed into a showroom with entries reflecting this year's theme: "architectural wonders of the world." Unlike … Continue reading A Short and Sweet History of the Gingerbread House
Kenmore’s Centennial: How the Ladies of the Kenmore Association Saved the Lewis Family Home
The year 2022 is significant for The George Washington Foundation as it is the centennial of the saving of Kenmore. We have begun the new year with a new exhibit exploring the saving of Kenmore by The Kenmore Association and the beginning of the restoration of the house and turning it into a treasured historic … Continue reading Kenmore’s Centennial: How the Ladies of the Kenmore Association Saved the Lewis Family Home
Restoring Kenmore’s Gardens
While the various restorations of Kenmore itself over the years are usually the star attraction for visitors to the site, there was another restoration, equally as important, that occurred on the property in its early years as a museum. Kenmore’s gardens are well-known for their beauty now, but when the Kenmore Association acquired the property … Continue reading Restoring Kenmore’s Gardens
Kenmore’s Famed Gingerbread
Historic Kenmore was associated with gingerbread for decades. Many people’s first memories of Kenmore involve the square of gingerbread and a cup of tea that used to be served at the end of every tour. The dessert welcomed visitors to the world of colonial Fredericksburg, it comforted soldiers on their way to war in Europe … Continue reading Kenmore’s Famed Gingerbread
Kenmore’s Kitchen: Then & Now
The brick kitchen building next to Historic Kenmore is not original to the property. It was built in the 1930s in the colonial revival architectural style popular at that time. The brick construction does not reflect the kitchen building seen in the earliest known photo of such a building at Kenmore. That image, taken around the … Continue reading Kenmore’s Kitchen: Then & Now
Lives & Legacies 