The First Oval Office: Beginnings

Stitchers reconstructing George Washington's tent.

Opening day at Colonial Williamsburg, 18 April 2013.

The Secretary's Office at Colonial Williamsburg opened yesterday for visitors to join in the excitement of witnessing the reconstruction of George Washington's marquee.  A talented group of historians and tradespeople have been meticulously researching the construction of the tent in which Washington slept and worked during his campaigns during the American Revolution.  A joint project between Colonial Williamsburg and the Museum of the American Revolution, the reconstruction project will take place over the course of the summer.  In 2016, the tent will be installed at the new Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.

A 1/6 scale model of George Washington's tent.

You can follow the project via The First Oval Office facebook page.  There is also a CW webcam where you can watch the stitchers working live, Saturday-Wednesday from 9:00am-5:00pm.  The Museum of the American Revolution website also features a blog following the progress of the project. For additional information, here is a link to the CW press release regarding this exciting new project.