This event has been canceled.

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Dr. Matthew Costello, senior historian of the White House Historical Association, will visit Washington Crossing Historic Park (PA). The lecture is free and will be held in the Visitor Center auditorium. Costello will present a free public lecture on his 2019 book, The Property of the Nation: George Washington’s Tomb, Mount Vernon and the Memory of the First President.

Costello’s book explores the evolution of George Washington’s legacy during the early Republic by focusing on his tomb at Mount Vernon. Costello will share:

• The efforts to move Washington’s remains elsewhere for political reasons
• How the Washington family and enslaved storytellers profited from historical tourism
• The creation of Mount Vernon as a “sacred space” ripe for pilgrimage
• The process of transforming Washington from a symbol of republicanism into an icon of democracy
• The triumph of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, who saved the estate and made themselves the legal guardians of Washington’s legacy