A Little Piece Of George Washington’s Tent Was Purchased From A Thrift Store For $1,700
Any thrifter could tell you that there are all sorts of treasures waiting to be discovered at your local Goodwill store.
You just have to go hunting for them. A collector and history buff named Richard “Dana” Moore had been perusing through Goodwill’s online thrift store in 2022 when he spotted a small piece of fabric in a frame.
It came with a handwritten note that claimed the fragment was part of a tent that George Washington used during the Revolutionary War.
It had been displayed at a 1907 exposition in Norfolk, Virginia, commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.
The scrap was four inches wide and nearly six inches long. It was frayed with scalloped red trim and appeared to have aged over the years.
Moore was skeptical of the claim, but he decided to bid on it. He spent around $1,700 for the fabric piece. Initially, he didn’t tell his wife, Susan Bowen, and concealed the purchase in their home.
But Moore’s instincts were right. The artifact was confirmed to be part of Washington’s dining tent, where the general hosted meals and meetings throughout the war. Moore estimates that the relic is worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The dining tent fragment is now on display at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, alongside Washington’s headquarters tent, where he slept and kept his office.
When Moore learned of the headquarters tent while watching TV one night in February 2023, he decided to reach out to the museum.
cphoto – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
He told them about the fragment and loaned it to the museum for two years. Museum experts determined that the scrap was authentic.
According to the note that came with Moore’s purchase, the full tent was on display at the exposition.
Apparently, someone had cut off a piece of the tent and took it home. The scrap ended up in the possession of a man named John Burns.
Over the years, Washington’s tents became a symbol of his leadership and of the American nation. During the Revolution, he used the tents to inspire confidence in his troops.
He worked and camped out among his soldiers, which was unusual for a military leader—most used actual buildings as their headquarters, not tents.
Washington also pitched his tent on the highest point of an area whenever they moved to a new location.
As a result, his tent would be the first thing his soldiers saw when they woke up and the last thing they saw when they went to bed. At night, when they noticed his candles were burning, they knew he was still hard at work.
Currently, Moore is the only known private owner of a piece of George Washington’s tent. Moore and his wife visited the museum and were touched by the sight of it.
“It’s the history behind it. Can you imagine the information and the things that were said within that tent?” Moore stated.
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