White House Historical Association

Polly Washwoman

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"Polly washwoman," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whitehouseworkers.org/Detail/workers/32.
Position
Laundress
Years in President's House
circa 1796
Legal Status
Free Person
Gender
Female
Presidency
George Washington
Biography
“Polly washwoman” worked at the President’s House in Philadelphia for President George Washington. Polly appears in a single entry from a household account book in 1796 as a washerwoman. It is unclear whether she worked for the household prior to 1796. However, there are other women named Polly in the household. A woman named Polly Channing appears in 1793 and Polly Glenn appears in 1795. It is possible this is the same person and that Glenn is a married name.1 Additional details about Polly’s life are currently unknown.
  1. “References to People from the Presidential Household Account Books,” The President’s House in Philadelphia, accessed September 16, 2025, https://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/history/references.php?srsltid=AfmBOopFiYUZUdcz3kbbBsBpIznmonPRPLxke0tEsvIlh3pLFLeNRZ1Z.
Birthplace
Unclear from Context
Burial Place
Unclear from Context
Related Workers
Polly Glenn
Unclear from Context, circa 1795
Polly Channing
Unclear from Context, circa 1793
Patty Channing
Maid, circa 1792 – circa 1794