Visit Washington's White House
By LAUREN HEPBURN
Updated 5:08 AM EDT, Mon, Jul 13, 2009
Visit America’s first White House where George Washington stayed. The Deshler-Morris House is now open to the public.
The house in Germantown, Pa., was used by the nation’s first president as an escape from the yellow fever epidemic that slammed Philadelphia in 1793.
Washington enjoyed his stay at the house so much that he and the first family used it as a summer oasis to escape the heat in 1794. It also was probably a bonus for the President to be near the federal capital, which at the time was Philadelphia.
Sit down on a piece of history, the red couch in the house is said to have belonged to Washington.
As if that is not enough history to munch on, the house had two significant historical enemies live under the same roof.
During the American Revolution, troops led by Washington and a British general named William Howe went head to head at the Battle of Germantown. The British walked away victorious.
That winter the Deshler-Morris House was vacant and General Howe took over the residence for a period of time. The general's foe, Washington, stayed in the house years later.
The house closed in February of 2008 for an extensive renovation and reopened on Saturday. The House will be open from noon to 4 p.m. everyday but Monday and Tuesday. Admission is free.
A public ceremony marking the reopening is to take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at a nearby Impacting Your World Christian Center.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Philadelphia
First Published: Jul 10, 2009 10:10 AM EDT
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