Christina Hiett

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden Museum

I had the privilege of interning at the Tudor Place Historic House and Garden Museum located in Georgetown, Washington, DC, where I spent three months working under the guidance of site manager Jana Shafagoj. Tudor Place was built by Martha Washington’s granddaughter, Martha Custis Peter, and her husband, Thomas Peter. Land was purchased in 1805 and the neoclassical house, designed by U.S. Capital architect William Thornton, was completed in 1816. The property remained under the ownership of six generations of the Custis-Peter family until 1983 with the death of the last owner Armistead Peter III. The historic site opened to the public in 1988 and is managed by Tudor Place Foundation. In addition to the house and fantastic gardens, Tudor Place holds a large collection of material culture, books, and manuscripts related to the property and its owners.

Most of my intern duties related to the ongoing restoration work that was taking place on the property. One of my responsibilities was to conduct and organize research on the house’s building history, particularly room usage, and how it has evolved over time. I also completed a moisture survey of the main house that will help the foundation better understand the moisture issues facing the historic structure. During the summer I also evaluated and accessioned architectural items into PastPerfect, a collection management software for museums. Other duties included documenting window wells before restoration, and organizing the Foundation’s photograph and slide collection of the property taken between 1984 and 2005. This internship was an excellent experience that allowed me to develop and expand my skills related to historic property management and research.