First First Lady -and our neighbor!

Courting Martha 

Traveling the thirty-five miles from Williamsburg to Martha’s home, George Washington paid a visit to Martha Dandridge Custis on March 16, 1758.  No doubt in a bid to impress her, he noted in his account records that he had left very generous tips for Martha’s household slaves. After returning for another visit on March 25, Washington returned to his military post.

Within months of meeting, both parties began to plan a future together. Washington began renovating and improving his home at Mount Vernon. Martha placed an order for wedding finery from London, a shipment that included brilliant purple slippers and a dress that was to be “grave but not Extravagent nor to be mourning,”** perfect for a bride in her situation.

Marriage

Their attraction was mutual, powerful, and immediate. Martha was charming, attractive, and, of course, wealthy. George had his own appeal. Over six foot two inches tall (compared with Martha, who was only five feet tall), George was an imposing figure whose reputation as a military leader preceded him. Like his future wife, Washington’s own social status had improved as a result of an unfortunate death. After his half-brother Lawrence and his widow died, Washington had inherited Mount Vernon, a beautiful 2000-acre estate located high above the Potomac River in Northern Virginia.

For her part, Martha must have believed that in George she had found someone she could trust as well as love. Although some widows wrote legally binding premarital contracts that protected the assets they had from their previous marriage, Martha did not.  For as long as she lived Washington would have the use of Martha’s “widow’s third,” the land, slaves, and money which would be handed down to the Custis heirs after Martha’s death.  In addition, Washington would become the legal guardian of Martha’s children, responsible for managing and protecting their financial affairs.

At the end of 1758, Washington resigned his military commission. On January 6, 1759, less than ten months after their initial meeting and less than eighteen months after her husband’s death, Martha Dandridge Custis married George Washington at her home in New Kent County. For both Martha and for George, a new era had dawned.