Karl C. Harrison Museum of George Washington

The Karl C. Harrison Museum of George Washington is a museum founded in 1982 at the Mildred B. Harrison Regional Library in Columbiana by banker Karl C. Harrison. The museum houses a collection of over 1,000 objects from the United States' Colonial period, many of which were purchased from Charlotte Smith Weaver and Ann Washington Leslie, descendants of Martha Washington.

In Fall 2000 a special wing of the library was built to display the collection. The collection is open to the public between 10:00 and 3:00 on weekdays.

Notable holdings

• The 1710 handwritten will of Colonel Daniel Parke, whose grandson, Daniel Parke Custis, was the first wife of Martha Dandridge, who later married George Washington
• Martha's 1783 prayer book
• A 1787 sketch of Mount Vernon drawn by Samuel Vaughn
• Some of George Washington's surveying and drafting tools
• George Washington personal effects, including cufflinks
• Sevres porcelain tea set from the Washington estate
• A tintype photograph of Robert E. Lee
• A note from George Washington, offering advice to a stepdaughter regarding marriage
• Letters from Washington to Martha
• Letters from Washington to President Madison
• A walnut game table with tulip and rosewood inlay that belonged to Bushrod Washington

References

• Edge, Lynn. (June 17, 2006) "Much of Washington's family memorabilia just down the road." Birmingham News.