What did George Washington think of the name of Washington, DC?

June 18, 2009 3:32 PM

Is anything known about what George Washington thought about having a city named in his honor?

For example, perhaps he gave a public speech accepting the honor, or perhaps something can be found in a letter that he wrote to someone, or perhaps a contemporary recorded something that Washington said to him.

I'm mostly interested in actual quotes of Washington on this topic, though of course any related info would be appreciated.

posted by Flunkie to grab bag (6 comments total)

In his farewell address, Washington said, speaking of his time spent in service to the country:

If benefits have resulted to our country from these services, let it always be remembered to your praise... the constancy of your support was the essential prop of the efforts, and a guarantee of the plans by which they were effected.

Here he's saying that any successes he had are owed to the people. So perhaps not entirely compatible with the idea of Washington later being lionized. Of course, these could have just been empty words, the kind of thing you expect a politician to say - "I couldn't have done it without you!"
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 3:44 PM on June 18

Thanks, but that's a far more general statement than about the naming of the city, no?
posted by Flunkie at 3:47 PM on June 18

Yes. I think you might have a very difficult time finding direct quotes on the issue, but you did say "any related info would be appreciated." Have you tried Bartlett's?
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 3:50 PM on June 18

I meant that I'm more interested in direct quotes on the specific matter than in, say, a contemporary's claim of what Washington thought on the specific matter.

To be clear, this isn't intended to mean I don't "appreciate" your answer - I'm just trying to clarify what I'm looking for.
posted by Flunkie at 3:59 PM on June 18

I suspect you might find an answer or further clues if you can get a copy of the following article:

GEORGE WASHINGTON IS NOT BURIED HERE.

Cooney, Charles F
Am. Hist. Illus. 1980 15(7): 48-49.
DOCUMENT TYPE: ARTICLE
ABSTRACT: Story of the empty tomb in the basement of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. which was intended for the remains of George Washington and Martha Washington, who are both buried in the family burial vault at Mt. Vernon; 1799-1832.


This was my best first effort - I was running a search through DIALOG (free to me for a few more days)....
posted by cinemafiend at 8:11 PM on June 18

You might want to try searching the transcript archives of George Washington's letters via the Library of Congress.

After a little browsing, it seems like Washington felt as though his name needed to be associated with the idea of moving the federal capital to DC for political and practical reasons. He needed to drum up enthusiasm to spur construction investment both at home and in Europe, and to convince the American people and its politicians that moving from cultured Philadelphia to the undeveloped swamplands of DC was a good idea.

I haven't yet found any of Washington's reflections on the naming of the city, but it seems like he referred to it more often as the "federal city" rather than as "Washington" or the "city of Washington." Maybe you will have better luck with your search.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 5:30 AM on June 19