Washington Old Hall was the ancestral home of George Washington, the first president  of the United States of America.

Contact Details :    The Avenue, Washington Village,
                             Washington,
                             Tyne & Wear
                             NE38 7LE
                             Telephone: 0191 416 6879

Date to remember :
Normally on the 4 July  Washington Old Hall   hosts an Independence Day celebration.

This stone-built Jacobean Manorstill incorporates parts of the original medieval home of George Washington's direct ancestors, which makes it a favourite calling point for American visitors. It is from here that the family took their surname of 'Washington'.

About the year 1180, so the 'Boldon Buke'  tells us, the Manor of Washington was acquired by William de Hertburne, an ancestor of George Washington.

Later,  he changed his name to William de Wessyngton (later Washington). In 1613 the Washington family moved south to Sulgrave Manor, near Banbury in Oxfordshire and the Manor was sold to the Bishop of Durham.

Extensively rebuilt in the 17th century the hall retained some original details, like the twin arches in the wall between the hall and the kitchen dating from the medieval period.

The Hall continued to be used as a residence until the 19th century when it became tenement flats and gradually fell into disrepair. In 1936 the building was declared unfit for human habitation, and was rescued from demolition by Fred Hill, a local teacher, who created what is now the "Friends of the Old Hall" to press for restoration of the building. Preservation work stopped during the war, but was completed in 1955.

In 1957 the National Trust assumed responsibility for the building. A Grade 1 listed building preserved by the National Trust, Washington Old Hall is worth visiting in it's own right, with or without its historical links to America.

Today there are displays on George Washington. There is also a fine collection of oil paintings, delftware and heavily carved oak furniture, giving an authentic impression of gentry life following the turbulence of the English Civil War. The tranquil Jacobean garden leads to the Nuttery, a wildflower nut orchard.

President Carter visited Washington Old Hall when he came to the North East on 6th May 1977.