An Artful Restoration

Dear ,

Do not be fooled by its name—the Little Parlor had much to offer during George Washington's lifetime.

This room is a creative person's ideal retreat. With its east- facing view of the Potomac River, it boasted a picturesque view of the sunrise and bright natural light during the morning hours.

In the evening, stirring melodies were heard throughout the Mansion as the Washingtons' granddaughter, Eleanor (Nelly) Parke Custis, played the harpsichord.

Because of its special morning views and light, the Little Parlor was used as a sitting room early in the day. It was occasionally used to serve light refreshments, punch, or even breakfast when new guests arrived after the regular 7:00 a.m. meal.

In fact, German merchant and natural scientist Friedrich Wilhelm Hoenighaus arrived at Mount Vernon on March 18, 1798, and reported enjoying a late breakfast in the "room toward the Potomac decorated with sea battles."

To ensure the Little Parlor reﬂected the same artwork that Hoenighaus viewed, the preservation and curatorial teams installed reproductions of 15 of the 20 artworks we believe were in the room during Washington's residency-the most complete representation to date!

We also performed restorative architecture work, including rebuilding the Rumford firebox insert, restoring the window sashes, and repainting the woodwork with hand-ground paint that reproduces the 1790s cream-colored finish.

Your generous gifts allowed our team to meticulously recreate this special room utilizing historic records and documents.

The walls are also works of art, ornamenting a vibrant ﬂoral wallpaper that was reproduced from a rare set of surviving papers originally sold by the shop that sold wallpapers to George Washington.

Thanks to your support, visitors who walk into the Little Parlor can now be inspired by its creative ambiance and 1799 appearance.