Replica Of George Washington's Headquarters Tent Set Up In Old City
By John Ostapkovich
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A major project of the Museum of the American Revolution is ready for inspection and you can do just that, if you want, this Friday.
School children get first dibs on Wednesday, seeing the replica of George Washington's oval headquarters tent. The original will eventually be a star attraction but, for now, it's in storage and Scott Stephenson, Director of Collections and Interpretation at the Museum of the American Revolution, says they needed to practice with something.
"In order to have a stand-in, we partnered with the Department of Historic Trades in Williamsburg, Virginia," he says, "and a team of historic tradesmen and tradeswomen spent the summer hand sewing, hand constructing a very accurate copy of Washington's tent."
Except for the gleaming metal umbrella-like supports inside the 14' by 22' tent.
Stephenson says the tent has three rooms within.
"There's a central dressing room/office that's about eight by ten feet," he says. "The General's bed chamber would in be in one of the rounded ends of the marquee and on the other end would have been an area for a valet."
The public is invited to see it on Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the building with the bell tower at 3rd and Chestnut Streets, which will soon be demolished for museum construction.
