History
Click here to learn about the Civil War at Tudor Place.
Tudor Place was built by Martha
Washington's granddaughter,
Martha Custis
Peter, and her husband, Thomas Peter, son
of a
successful Scottish tobacco merchant. In
1805, Thomas Peter
purchased the land
comprising a city lot in Georgetown Heights
with an $8,000 legacy from Martha Custis
Peter's step-grandfather,
George
Washington. The Peters asked Dr. William
Thornton,
architect of the U.S. Capitol, to
design the stately neoclassical house
with its
circular domed portico and expansive
gardens. Completed in
1816, Tudor Place
remained under the ownership of six
succeeding
generations of the Peter family until 1983.
The Peter family witnessed the birth and growth of the capital, playing active roles in government, business and society. The family entertained the Marquis de Lafayette, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun and others who shaped America's history.
The story of those who worked at the estate and served the family as slaves and free servants present a fuller picture of life at Tudor Place. From the forced immigration of slaves to the free immigration of English and Irish in the late 19th century, Tudor Place presents a unique window into the lives of those who served and how their lives were shaped by major events.
Following the death of its last owner, Armistead Peter 3rd, the historic site opened to the public in 1988 under the stewardship of the Tudor Place Foundation. Tudor Place brings to life the cultural and social history of over 180 years of the Peter family.
