Washington Old Hall

Washington Old Hall is a manor house located in the Washington [54°54'9.86" N 1°30'59.17" W] , area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. It lies in the centre of Washington, being surrounded by other villages.

The manor was the ancestral home of the family of George Washington, the first President of the United States.

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 after, he changed his name to William de Wessyngton (later Washington). Although he used the Norman French spelling (based on a Middle English rendition of the original), the estate is of Anglo-Saxon (specifically "Anglic") origin, originally being "Hwæssaingatūn", meaning "estates of the descendents of Hwæssa" ("Hwæssa" being rendered "Wassa" in Modern English). 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 World War II, but was completed in 1955. In 1957 the National Trust assumed responsibility for the building. [Sunderland City Council information leaflet [http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Public/Editable/Themes/Lifelong-Learning/Leaflets/Washington%20Old%20Hall.pdf] ]

As a result of these historic ties, Washington, D.C., and Washington of England have announced a "friendship agreement," hoping to create cultural and economic ties with one another (see sister cities or town twinning).

Notes

External links

* [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-washingtonoldhall/ National Trust page]
* [http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/public/editable/banners/friendship/default.asp Sunderland City Council's announcement of a Friendship Agreement between Sunderland and Washington D.C.]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3830337 Photos of Washington Old Hall and surrounding area on geograph]