Abingdon Plantation Recontruction

sketchfab

Abingdon Plantation, once home to John Parke Curtis, stepson of George Washington, and birthplace of Eleanor "Nelly" Parke Custis Lewis, fell into disrepair before burning down in 1930, with the site now situated at Reagan National Airport. This digital model recreates both the main plantation house and the kitchen-laundry as they appeared around 1930, just before the devastating fire. To maintain historical accuracy, any architectural features that did not exist by the late 1920s have been omitted from this rendering. Furthermore, to showcase Abingdon's original style, this model depicts the plantation in its former glory, free from signs of decay such as missing shutters. Special thanks go to Arlington Historical Society for providing valuable historic images, which guided the model's appearance and ensured an authentic representation. We are also grateful to Thomas Wasaff at Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority for sharing the archaeological report, offering a comprehensive look at Abingdon's history, size, and layout. The archaeological findings were documented in Fischler, Benjamin, et al.'s Archaeology of the Abingdon Plantation Site (44AR18), published by Greenhorne & O'Mara Inc. in 1999.