REVOLUTIONARY REVELRY: CELEBRATING JULY 4TH IN GEORGE WASHINGTON’S ANCESTRAL HOMETOWN

What does an Englishman who loves America do on JULY 4TH? He goes to Washington in northeast England to visit the ancestral home of George Washington, first president of the United States!

Washington Old School Hall, a Manor House, in the historic Independence Day celebrations at Washington Old Hall (July 4th 2024). county of Durham was the medieval home to George’s ancestor, Sir William de Wessynton, in the 12th century. It was saved from ruin by Mr Fred Hill, a local teacher, in 1936 and was acquired by conservation charity, the National Trust, 20 years later. While George Washington did not set a single foot in Washington Old Hall, its restoration was supported by many donations from generous Americans thanks to the historic Washington family link. 

For several years now, the National Trust has been organising an annual Independence Day celebration and it is a good opportunity to get free access to the hall and grounds while commemorating the American holiday - even if it does mark the anniversary of the colonies separation from Great Britain!

The flag raising ceremony and singing of the American National Anthem is particularly poignant. 

The format today was similar to previous years, albeit hindered by the wind and technical issues with the microphones, none of which spoiled the proceedings. The large crowd in attendance was entertained by musicians from City Swing and listened to readings by local school children and special guests. National Trust General Manager, Eric Wilton, was master of proceedings. 

Washington Old Hall: American Independence Day 2024 Programme 

• Welcome from Eric Wilton. 
• A reading from the American Declaration of Independence by members of Sunderland Youth Council. 
• Raising of the Flag of the United States of America. The flag was presented by Dylan Hill of Washington Academy while wearing the Washington Grey’s uniform of George Washington’s bodyguards. The flag was raised by David Bruce, Chief Business Officer at Sunderland Association Football Club. 
• The American National Anthem, sung by those in attendance.  
• “The Dream” - a nation of all people by Martin Luther King, read by Jessica Stewart of Washington Academy. 
• Washington New Town 60th anniversary presentation by schoolchildren from George Washington Primary School, John F. Kennedy Primary School and Broadway Junior School. 
• A short address by Coun. Ehthesham Haque, Deputy Mayor of Sunderland.   
• Reading of a fraternal greeting from Mark S. Hudson, executive director of Tudor Place, a historic house and garden in Washington D.C. Mr Hudson had been a guest at the Washington Old Hall July 4th event of 2008.  
• Extract of George Washington’s inaugural address to Congress, read by Christine Parker, Chair of the Friends of Washington Old Hall. The reading touched on education and civic responsibilities as well as the valuing of rights. 
• Closing address and ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’.

No visit to Washington Old Hall would be complete without walking to the nearby village green. A tulip poplar tree, from Mount Vernon, Virginia, was planted there by U.S. President Jimmy Carter during his visit to England in May 1977. It is said that the tree froze and died in the hold of the airplane during the flight over the pond, but was still planted so as not to disappoint the crowds gathered on that special day. A replacement tree grows there today, alongside a commemorative plaque, and is surrounded by a protective railing featuring George Washington’s silhouette and the original Washington coat of arms featuring stars and stripes.

Washington village and the wider Washington district are now within the administrative boundaries of Sunderland City Council. In 2006, Sunderland Council became the only non-capital city to have a friendship agreement with Washington D.C. and many of the road signs at the city’s boundaries commemorate this by featuring the American flag. The unique protocols of friendship were renewed in December 2012. 

Washington isn’t the only location in the northeast of England where the place name is duplicated in the U.S.A. (or vice-versa). Here are a few of the noteworthy namesakes with their American equivalents:

• Albany village, part of the Washington district and also close to Washington Old Hall. It has no known link to Albany in New York City. 

• Concord village is a 5 minute drive from Washington Old Hall and while it is unlikely that it took its name from Concord in North Carolina, there is an interesting public house there named after the George Washington’s forebear, Sir William de Wessynton. Part of the J.D. Wetherpoon pub chain, the popular venue is adorned with images and information about George Washington and the Wessyngton family. Even better, not only does the pub stock a wide range of beers, but you can pick up a tasty ‘American breakfast’, consisting of pancakes, maple syrup and bacon - though the authenticity leaves a lot to be desired!

• A little further away is Philadelphia, a small settlement in the neighbouring town of Houghton-le-Spring, where road signs proclaim it was named after Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the American War of Independence. 

• New York is a village 20 minutes north of Washington and apparently named after the British capture of the more famous city, the Big Apple, in 1777. 

• Back in Washington Village, in the early 2000s developers cleverly gave the name Liberty Green to a newly built residential cul-de-sac, in a quaint nod to the village’s American links. 

FIND OUT MORE

🇺🇸 WASHINGTON OLD HALL

🇺🇸 SIR WILLIAM DE WESSYNGTON (WETHERSPOON) PUB

🇺🇸 THE D.C. SUNDERLAND AGREEMENT 2012

See all our Washington Old Hall photographs in a special album on our Facebook page >>> P&K USA