Washington Old Hall
| Washington Old Hall | |
|
National Trust | |
|---|---|
 Exterior view of the Washington Old Hall. | |
| Grid reference: | NZ311565 |
| Information | |
Washington Old Hall is an ancient manor house in Washington in County Durham. It stands in the centre of the town.
The manor was the ancestral home of the family from which came George Washington, the first President of the United States. Today it is owned by the National Trust.
History
William de Hertburne, an ancestor of George Washington, assumed tenancy of the Wessyngtonlands from the Bishop of Durham for an annual fee of £4. Soon afterwrads he changed his name to William de Wessyngton (later Washington). 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 1936 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 Second World War, but was completed in 1955. In 1957 the National Trust assumed responsibility for the building.
The Wessyngton (Washington) Family had not owned Washington Old Hall since the early 1400s when Sir William Mallory married Dionysia Tempest, the last Wessyngton heir at the Hall. Dionysia was daughter of Sir William Tempest and his cousin, Eleanor Wessyngton. The sale in 1613 was by Sir John Mallory and Anna Eure, investors in the Virginia charter; Sir John Mallory having been a descendant of Sir William Mallory and Dionysia Tempest.
Outside links
- Washington Old Hall - National Trust
- Pictures of Washington and the area on Geograph.co.uk