George Washington (1732-1799) is represented in the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum collection with items created to commemorate and celebrate his life and achievements.

Alexandria was Washington’s hometown, even as he served his country. His Mount Vernon home is just nine miles south of Alexandria. When the town was established in 1749, Washington’s older half-brother Lawrence purchased two of the original lots and George drew one of the earliest known plats of the new community. Washington was involved in a variety of Alexandria business, social, and civic activities, purchased property, and built a town house on Cameron Street. As a justice of the peace for Fairfax County, he attended court here, and Alexandria was in the area he represented as a member of the House of Burgesses. At Mount Vernon Washington depended on enslaved African Americans who were personal and household servants, distillers, craftsmen, millers, and agricultural workers. The estate grew to be 8000 acres and included a gristmill that served neighboring farms, and a distillery that sold to area merchants.

Young Ann Tottington Rudd’s sampler recalls George Washington’s career in a unique commemoration of Alexandria’s favorite son. Her work undoubtedly expresses the depth of feeling many Alexandria’s held toward Washington. Ann, born in 1804, was the daughter of Mary and William Rudd. The family immigrated to Alexandria from England sometime prior to 1815 and William leased a dwelling and shop on Prince Street.

This bust of George Washington was made in time for the 1876 American Centennial Celebration. It is a ceramic piece from Wedgwood, measuring 18 1/4 inches high, and was based on Jean Antoine Houdon’s statue of Washington in the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond. Houdon’s was the only sculpture of Washington done from life.

The Lyceum’s 12-cent George Washington stamp was one of the first pre-paid postage stamps issued by the United States. The portrait on the stamp, released in 1851, was based on the painting of the first president by Gilbert Stuart. At the time, the 12-cent was the highest denomination of a U.S. stamp ever issued. It covered the over-3,000-mile double-weight rate of the quadruple-weight rate for a letter sent under 3,000 miles and was often used to pay the 24-cent, single-weight rate to England.