Watching the Flames Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail - Washington DC
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 38° 54.700 W 077° 03.758
18S E 321162 N 4308996
On August 24, 1814, as word spread that the British were coming, Dr. William Thornton and his wife Anna Marie fled their downtown F Street home and took refuge here at Tudor Place, home of their friend Martha Parke Custis Peter.
Waymark Code: WM11ZNB
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 01/17/2020
Views: 6
Watching the Flames-Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail-On August 24, 1814, as word spread that the British were coming, Dr. William Thornton and his wife Anna Marie fled their downtown F Street home and took refuge here at Tudor Place, home of their friend Martha Parke Custis Peter. That night, Mrs. Thornton wrote, they looked out a window and “witnessed the conflagration of our poor undefended and devoted city.” Although only approximately 20 non-military structures were in flames, the scene must have been especially painful for Dr. Thornton, who had designed the U.S. Capitol as well as Tudor Place.
Saving Georgetown-Georgetown was not harmed during the invasion because Mayor John Peter, Martha Custis Peter’s nephew, promised British officers that Georgetowners would not resist if they left in peace.
In the summer of 1814, the United States had been at war with Great Britain for two years. Battlefronts had erupted from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. On August 24, following their victory over the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, Maryland, British troops marched on Washington with devastating results.
Who put it there? Private/Government?: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Location/Address:
1644 31st Street Northwest
Washington, DC USA
20007
County/Province: District of Columbia
Website (related) if available: [Web Link]
Rate the Site: 
Photos Will Be Uploaded: yes
Date Erected/Dedicated: Not listed
Hours or Restrictions if Appropiate: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Visit logs must contain at least one new photo (by you) of the waymark. We prefer that neither you nor your GPS be in the photo.
Instead, Please provide some small tid-bit about your visit, or trip to this site, and, if possible, try to provide some fresh view or piece of information about the site.