The Arlington House, perched atop a grassy hill within Arlington National Cemetery has been the site of some fascinating finds by archaeologists within the past year. Before the pandemic forced its closing, archaeologists were uncovering some remarkable China and artifacts that were believed to belong to George and Martha Washington. The park service notes, “In a truly remarkable discovery, National Park Service (NPS) archeologists at Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, have found pieces of porcelain likely from President George Washington and his wife, Martha, during archeological investigations of the site. The archeological investigations were part of the initial rehabilitation work on the grounds at Arlington House. Some of the ceramic fragments recovered were pieces of the ‘States’ porcelain, originally owned by the Washingtons and used at Mount Vernon. In 1796, a Dutch merchant presented Martha Washington with a set of these porcelain plates that contained her monogram (“MW”) and was surrounded by the names of all 15 United States at that time. Intact matching pieces of this service set reside in the collections of some museums, such as Mount Vernon. But how did they end up on the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery? Following the deaths of George and Martha Washington, Martha Washington’s grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, inherited and purchased hundreds of items from Mount Vernon to bring with him to his new home, Arlington House. Fascinating facts and fragments found within the grounds of the Arlington House atop the cemetery.

The Arlington House, perched atop a grassy hill within Arlington National Cemetery has been the site of some fascinating finds by archaeologists within the past year. Before the pandemic forced its closing, archaeologists were uncovering some remarkable China and artifacts that were believed to belong to George and Martha Washington. The park service notes, “In a truly remarkable discovery, National Park Service (NPS) archeologists at Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, have found pieces of porcelain likely from President George Washington and his wife, Martha, during archeological investigations of the site. The archeological investigations were part of the initial rehabilitation work on the grounds at Arlington House. Some of the ceramic fragments recovered were pieces of the ‘States’ porcelain, originally owned by the Washingtons and used at Mount Vernon. In 1796, a Dutch merchant presented Martha Washington with a set of these porcelain plates that contained her monogram (“MW”) and was surrounded by the names of all 15 United States at that time. Intact matching pieces of this service set reside in the collections of some museums, such as Mount Vernon. But how did they end up on the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery? Following the deaths of George and Martha Washington, Martha Washington’s grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, inherited and purchased hundreds of items from Mount Vernon to bring with him to his new home, Arlington House. Fascinating facts and fragments found within the grounds of the Arlington House atop the cemetery.