George Washington House Tours and Activities

Just 15 years before he became the very first president of the United States, George Washington paid a lengthy visit to the island of Barbados. This was the future president's only trip outside colonial America and was for the benefit of his brother, who was stricken with tuberculosis at the time. Washington stayed for two whole months in 1751, and the house has been preserved just as it was then, offering a glimpse not only into those two months of Washington's life, but into Bajan life in general in the 1700s.

The house has been preserved in its original state by the Barbados National Trust, and includes easily recognisable artifacts like a chamber pot and washing basin (there was no indoor plumbing at the time.)

Possibly less easy to identify are the three mason jars stacked one on top of the other. This was actually a pre-refrigeration method of filtering and chilling drinking water. A number of the artifacts that remain in the house were recovered from a gully located behind the house.

The second floor contains a wealth of 18th-century medical equipment. Both brothers required medical assistance during their time in Barbados – Lawrence for his existing TB and George as a result of the smallpox he contracted while on the island. Local man Dr Lanaham is credited with the successful treatment of the man who would go on to lead the new republic into the future.

The house also features a sobering exhibit on the subject of slavery. With everything from farming machinery to manacles, the displays here cover a number of facets of Bajan slave life.

George Washington House is located in Bridgetown, within easy walking distance of a number of the city's other tourist attractions. The house is open every day except Sunday and there is free parking available on site.