February 2017
New York Times Covers George Washington’s Headquarters Tent
George Washington’s original headquarters tent (c.1778) survived 240 years in various states of storage. And now, it has once again been erected at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA. The 300-sf tent, which served as Washington’s home and command center during the Revolutionary War, is the Museum’s centerpiece exhibit thanks to an innovative umbrella-like structure developed by Keast & Hood to support the artifact without inducing stress in the delicate fabric.
The New York Times highlighted the tent’s installation and conservation in a recent article. An excerpt from the piece highlights the tent’s importance, “Having any George Washington artifact is important and having one as tangible as this tent is quite extraordinary,” said David N. Redden, a former vice chairman of Sotheby’s, who in 2006 sold a Revolutionary War battle flag for $12.33 million, still a record price. He declined to value the tent, but added, “I can’t think of any other Revolutionary War tents that survive.” Learn more about the tent and the efforts that made the exhibition possible by reading the full article, Where George Washington Slept (Perhaps Not Well).
Watch the tent’s entire installation take place in under one minute in this video by the Museum of the American Revolution: George Washington’s Headquarters Tent Installation