Washington Old Hall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Washington Old Hall is a manor house located in Washington[1], Tyne and Wear. It is on the outskirts of Sunderland in North East England.
The Manor is the ancestral home of George Washington, the first President of the United States.
[edit] History
William de Hertburne, an ancestor of George Washington, assumed tenancy of the Wessyngtonlands from the Bishop of Durham for an annual charge of £4. Soon after, he changed his name to William de Wessyngton (later Washington). Although he used the Norman French spelling, the estate is of Saxon origin, being "Hwaessa", "Ing" and "Tun", Hwassa's family lands. In 1613 the Washington family moved south to Sulgrave Manor, and the Manor was sold to the Bishop of Durham.
The Hall continued to be used as a residence until the 19th century when it became tenement flats and gradually fell into disrepair. In the building was declared unfit for human habitation, and was rescued from demolition by Fred Hill, a local teacher, who created what is now the "Friends of the Old Hall" to press for restoration of the building. Preservation work stopped during the war, but was completed in 1955. In 1957 the National Trust assumed responsibilty for the building.[2]
As a result of these historic ties, Washington, D.C., and Sunderland have announced a "friendship agreement" hoping to create cultural and economic ties with one another (see sister cities or town twinning).
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- National Trust page
- Sunderland City Council's announcement of a Friendship Agreement between Sunderland and Washington D.C.
 |
This article about a United Kingdom building or structure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
