Fraunces Tavern® Museum to Celebrate Martha Washington in its latest Special Exhibition

Martha Washington – familiar to many, but few people have come to know the person behind the name. Fraunces Tavern Museum is delighted to announce our new special exhibition Martha, The First Founding Mother Revealed in the Adeline Moses Loeb Gallery. As part of the Museum's broader Path to Liberty: The Emergence of a Nation Semiquincentennial exhibition, it will bring Martha to life. The preview reception will be held on November 16, 2026, in the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Educational Center for American History adjacent to the Loeb Gallery, with an optional dinner to follow in Fraunces Tavern. The exhibition will be open to the public beginning November 17, 2026.

Through a focused selection of objects, correspondence, and artwork, visitors to this exhibition will explore Martha
Washington's contributions to the Revolutionary War effort, her partnership with George Washington, and her emergence as a national figure whose influence helped shape early American ideas about leadership, patriotism, and public service. Specifically, the exhibition will cover Martha Washington's pre-war years, her life during the American Revolution, and post-war. It will bring into focus Lady Washington’s practicality, dedication to family, ability to embrace change, diplomatic demeanor, and perseverance.

In discussing Fraunces Tavern Museum’s newest exhibition, Craig Hamilton Weaver, co-chairman, Museum and Art Committee, Fraunces Tavern Museum, observes, “The exhibition sheds light on the character traits of Martha Washington in a way few have attempted before. Everyone knows who she was but very few know anything about her. Through a combination of detailed historical analysis and a presentation of a broad spectrum of objects, she truly comes to life. What emerges is the portrait of a complex and multi-faceted individual. The truth is that everyone can find a hero in Martha Washington." 

At the opening reception, Katharine Pittman, Colonial Williamsburg's Martha Washington, will be on hand to interpret her. She has been featured across the country and in outlets such as The Today Show, PBS, and Good Morning America. She states, “It is rewarding to bring Mrs. Washington's story to life, so people can see her as a person rather than just an icon.” 

The exhibition will be on display for approximately one year. Fraunces Tavern Museum is open 12-5 pm daily. Tickets for admission to the Museum are available in-person only at the door.

The Fraunces Tavern Museum is located in the Financial District at Broad and Pearl Streets.

https://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/

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