Washington Old Hall, National Trust

The Washington Old Hall building dates from the 17th Century though there had been a stone hall there in1183 and owned  by William de Wessynton, later changed to Washington. It was George Washington's grandfather who emigrated from here to America.

In the latter part of the 18th Century, the five-bedroom building became a tenement house for as many as 35 people at one time (last two images). The working class tenants were often living in tiny, cramped rooms, in the poorest of conditions. In 1932 it was declared unfit for human habitation. In 1955, it was restored, funded by donations from American benefactors, and then given to the National Trust.