Mary Washington House

1204 Charles Street

Fredericksburg, VA  22401

540-373-1569

In 1752, George Washington surveyed acreage that established the original town of Fredericksburg. Lots were set aside for Washington, who planned to move his widowed mother into town to be near his sister. When Mary Ball Washington moved to Fredericksburg, her property consisted of two 1/2 acre lots on the north side of Lewis Street between Charles and Prince Edward. Her house fronted on Charles Street, at the corner of Lewis and Charles. The back lot, fronting on Prince Edward, was presumably used for stables, slave quarters, a garden for fruits and vegetables, and possibly some crops to feed the animals. By 1968, the back lot fronting on Prince Edward Street, had been long since sold off and built on. The original cottage had been extended north along Charles Street in several additions, the first one by George Washington in 1772. Behind the house, the original outside kitchen was still standing, as well as another outbuilding of a later date. The only trace of the 18th century landscape was a double row of overgrown English box bordering an old brick walk. According to local legend, Mary Washington herself had ordered this walkway laid for her daily visits to her daughter's new house, which was under construction in 1772. The Garden Club of Virginia restored the interesting cottage style garden. It includes a vegetable and flower garden, all interconnected with a brick walk system, and bordered with boxwood and other shrub and tree plantings.