Invisible Architects Walking Tour—President's House Site

Stop 4: President's House Site, 6th and Market Streets

Although the house that Presidents Washington and Adams lived in is long gone, the outdoor exhibits explore the stories of the enslaved servants who lived and worked in Washington’s household. See videos and exhibit panels in an outdoor setting evoking the feeling of a house. Part of the home’s foundations are still visible through a viewing window.

Philadelphia served as the capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800. During that time, a home on this location served as the executive branch. Presidents Washington and then Adams signed bills into laws here. During his presidency, Washington brought nine enslaved Africans from his Mount Vernon home to this Philadelphia home: Austin, Paris, Hercules, Christopher Sheels, Richmond, Giles, Ona Judge, Moll, and Joe. Bringing enslaved servants from Virginia to Philadelphia brought risks for Washington but opportunity for enslaved Africans. The large free Black community in the city—coupled with the Quaker anti-slavery stance—ensured that networks existed to assist freedom seekers.

FIND: A Woman’s Footprints, in the ground near the home’s foundations
These “footprints” in the ground represent the flight of Ona Maria Judge, Martha Washington’s enslaved servant. Judge seized her freedom here while the family was eating dinner in 1796. Judge sailed to New Hampshire where she married and raised a family.

BONUS FIND: Escape of Ona Judge historical marker, west side of 6^th Street near Market Street (across 6^th Street from the President’s House Site)
Text: “Judge (c.1773-1848) was brought to Phila. in 1790 as the enslaved house servant of First Lady Martha Washington. She escaped from the President's House on May 21, 1796, to New Hampshire with the assistance of the city's African American community. President Washington’s attempts to recapture her were unsuccessful, as he met resistance from federal officials who would not comply with the Fugitive Slave Act. Judge lived as a free woman for the rest of her life."
Advertisement Seeking Recapture of Ona Maria Judge – May 24, 1796
Ona Judge Escapes to Freedom