History Lost & Found

History Lost and Found. The President's House. , Exposed , Washington's letters described planned renovations to the house. These letters and other documents helped us know the outline of the original house and changes to the design. Archeologists discovered a previously unknown kitchen basement and underground passageway connecting this basement to the one under the main house. In these spaces enslaved Africans and free and indentured servants carried out many of their domestic chores out of sight of the Washington family, guests, and official visitors to the house., The foundation of the house confirmed the addition of a two-story bow window that President Washington had added to the house to afford more spacious and fashionable rooms for his formal receptions. Such bow windows were the height of fashion during the 1790s. Archeologists noted that there are no definitive presidential artifacts, but that the basement foundations are the significant features., Contradictions , The space where some of the enslaved stable lands slept is a mere five feet from the entrance to the Liberty Bell Center. You can no longer see the room, but you can imagine the voices of those whose daily lives stood in stark contrast to those of the founders who declared, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Right, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.", Discoveries , Though much was lost, much remains of the African cultural attributes brought to these shores, including music, foods, lore, and religious beliefs and practices. Africans and their descendents adapted and incorporated African traditions into their new circumstances. Historians and genealogists continue to discover evidence and information that creates a fuller picture of their lives., It is likely that additional information about the President's House and its inhabitants will be discovered. As this work continues, a fuller picture will emerge of events at this site and of life in Philadelphia for the diverse populations that lived and worked here.