Piece of George Washington’s mahogany coffin
date: label: date made
content: ca 1840
label: associated date
content: 1859
name: label: referenced
content: Washington, George
label: referenced
content: Saltonstall, William L.
label: referenced
content: Green, James
notes: label: Description
content: When George Washington’s remains were relocated to a new tomb in 1837, his family planned to make souvenirs from the mahogany covering of his lead-lined coffin. Its deteriorated condition made that idea unworkable, however, so they distributed small pieces of the wood. The note on this piece reads, “Washington’s Coffin presented to Mr. Saltonstall by a nephew, + namesake of Washington residing at Mount Vernon.”
label: Description
content: This Mr. Saltonstall is believed to be Leverett Saltonstall, a Massachusetts congressman from 1838 to 1843. Saltonstall often visited Mount Vernon, where he likely received this coffin piece from John Augustine Washington, who was George Washington’s great-grandnephew and Mount Vernon’s last resident owner.
label: Description
content: Purchase, 2011
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Virginia, Mount Vernon
label: referenced
content: United States: Virginia
topic: label: referenced
content: Presidents
label: general subject association
content: National Symbols
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, General History Collection
label: See more items in
content: Government, Politics, and Reform
label: See more items in
content: Souvenir Nation
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2011.0013.02
label: catalog number
content: 2011.0013.02
label: accession number
content: 2011.0013
objectType: label: Object Name
content: wood
label: Object Name
content: wood, coffin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: mahogany (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brown (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: light brown (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 in x 2 in; 5.08 cm x 5.08 cm