An artifact that originally belonged to President George Washington recently landed in the hands of a Virginia history enthusiast – and then a museum – all thanks to Goodwill.
An elongated fragment of linen fabric measuring six inches in length that currently is on display at the Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia, cut from one end-side edge of Washington’s dining marquee (‘tent’). The artifact was discovered by a collector, Richard “Dana” Moore after he found the item at auction on Goodwill’s listings.
There was a note with the fabric that read: “a piece of George Washingtons tent, from the history building at Jamestown exposition 1907 property of John Burns Dec 23rd 07.”
Though Moore’s cache is primarily Civil War-related, he has hunted American Revolution and sometime-War of 1812 relics with a metal detector. At first, Moore told Fox News Digital during an interview that he questioned whether the piece was real.
“But when I zoomed in, the fabric looked authentically old,” he explained. “The brief handwritten note referencing the Jamestown Exposition of 1907, which was attached with a rusty pin, added to the feeling of age. My gut kept telling me this could be real.”
Aware of its importance, Moore bought the cloth for $1,300. But it was a purchase that would leave him leaning under the weight of responsibility for one hell of an important historical package. He did not immediately tell his wife, Susan Bowen, who was initially skeptical.
“I assumed it couldn’t be real until over a year later when we watched an online presentation from the Museum of the American Revolution,” Bowen explained to Fox News Digital. “That’s what prompted us to reach out to them.”
Museum curator Matthew Skic says the fabric was removed back in 1907, during the time period when people were actually cutting up pieces of it as souvenirs while it hung from a marquee. The note says the canopy was present at that year’s Jamestown Exposition.
“At that time, Mary Custis Lee, Martha Washington’s great-great granddaughter and daughter of Robert E. Lee, owned Washington’s tents from the Revolutionary War,” he added. “She put the dining marquee on loan to the exposition.”
Washington used two marquees when on the road with his troops, one for dining and another as his “headquarters” or office-tent. Moore found the fabric belonging to Washington’s dining canopy.
The weave of the fabric and progression with red wool edging style and shape were closely inspected in consultation from textile conservator Virginia Whelan.
“These details match the dining marquee. We were able to determine that this fragment was cut away from the scalloped edge of the roof of the dining marquee.”
Skic added that finding artifacts such as this is “very unusual, especially through a Goodwill Online auction!”
“Prior to the discovery of this fragment, nine fragments of Washington’s tents were known to exist, all in the collections of museums or other institutions,” he explained. “The Museum of the American Revolution, for example, owns three fragments of Washington’s tents. There may be more fragments out there!”
The fabric is currently at the Philadelphia museum, which also houses other fragments from Washington’s tents. The work has since become the focal point of historians, and they have been looking into John Burns’ identity, the person who supposedly wrote the note.
Bowen said she was proud to see the artifact in a museum. “Seeing it as part of the exhibit was so exciting. It’s been a very emotional day for both of us.”
