George Washington Parke Custis (1781-1857) was raised at Mount Vernon by George and Martha Washington. Young "Wash" appears in Savage's 1789 painting of the first presidential family, his small hand placed symbolically on a globe. He would later make his mark on the national landscape by building Arlington House on the Potomac. A poor student, he emerged as an agricultural reformer and sought-after Federalist orator. He championed the plights of Irish Americans and war veterans. An important memoirist, he wrote well-received theatrical works and produced paintings rich in historical detail.
Inheriting much of the vast Custis fortune, he also became the enslaver of more than 200 people. The slow march toward their emancipation became the central struggle of his life, particularly after his daughter's 1831 marriage to Robert E. Lee. This first full-length biography of Custis, which includes much detail on the development of Arlington County, offers a 21st century reappraisal of life that dramatically bridged the American Revolution and the Civil War.
Charlie Clark, a retired journalist, published the first full biography of George Washington Parke Custis, an under-sung “child of Mount Vernon,” with McFarland Books. His book is available through the Arlington Public Library. A native of Arlington, Va., he continues to write the weekly “Our Man in Arlington” column for the Falls Church News-Press. We’re lucky to have him back for a timely talk during black history month.
This is an Encore Learning Presents event, cosponsored by the Arlington Public Library.
