Schools
James H. Johnston - "From Slave Ship to Harvard"
May marks the 200th anniversary of 17-year-old George Peabody's arrival in Georgetown in 1812 with his older uncle and their establishment of a dry goods store on Bridge Street, today's M Street. Decades later, Mr. Peabody was a multi-millionaire and in 1867 he donated $15,000 to establish a library in Georgetown. Mr. Peabody believed that the only way for one to elevate them self was through education. That was why he funded a library in Georgetown among dozens of other cultural organizations. The Peabody Room was named in his honor in 1935 with the purpose to serve as a repository of Georgetown's history.
Join us every Thursday in May for an author talk, 6:30 p.m., Georgetown Library. We also celebrate the return of his fully restored portrait, which was damaged in the 2007 Georgetown Library fire.
- May 3: Garrett Peck, “The Potomac River: A History and Guide”
- May 10: John DeFerrari, “Lost Washington, DC”
- May 17: Michael Lee Pope, “Hidden History of Alexandria, DC”
- May 24: James H. Johnston, “From Slave Ship to Harvard: Yarrow Mamout and the History of an African American Family”
- May 31: David Mould, “Remembering Georgetown: A History of the Lost Port City”