A Georgetown Life: The Reminiscences of Britannia Wellington Peter Kennon of Tudor Place Hardcover -

From the rear cover

A window into nineteenth-century Washington, DC, as it was experienced by Georgetown grande dame Britannia Kennon

As a Georgetown resident for nearly a century, Britannia Wellington Peter Kennon (1815-1911) witnessed an extraordinary period of American history. Born into the prominent Peter family, Kennon came into contact with many notable figures of the day as they frequented Tudor Place, her home for over ninety years.

Housed in the Tudor Place archives, "The Reminiscences of Britannia Wellington Peter Kennon" is a collection of Kennon's memories as solicited and recorded by her grandchildren in the 1890s. Now published for the first time, the record of her experiences offers a unique insight into nineteenth-century life in the nation's capital.

The Reminiscences include Kennon's recollections of her mother, Martha Custis Peter, who was born at Mount Vernon and visited frequently as Martha Washington's grandchild. Kennon also recounts her childhood in Georgetown, her experience of the Civil War, and daily life in Washington, DC. Along the way, she introduces readers to many historical and political figures, including presidents of the United States, Lafayette, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun. She also records her memories of the enslaved and domestic servants at Tudor Place, including John Luckett, a self-emancipated man who worked as her gardener for more than forty-four years.

Edited by Grant S. Quertermous, this richly illustrated and annotated edition gives readers a greater appreciation of life in early Georgetown. It includes a guide to the city's streets both then and now, a detailed family tree, and an appendix of the many people Britannia encountered a who's who of the period. Readers will also find this book an essential companion to the incredible collection of objects preserved at Tudor Place. Notable for both its breadth and level of detail, A Georgetown Life brings a new dimension to the study of nineteenth-century America.

Grant S. Quertermous is the curator and director of collections for the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust. As the former curator of Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, he spent five years researching the Peter family and their ownership of the National Historic Landmark property in Georgetown.