Historical Staffordshire "The Washington Elm at Cambridge, Massachusetts" Plate

Updated on September 18: This has been sold.

Antique blue Staffordshire plate showing the historic Elm in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In excellent condition.

Made by Rowland & Marsellus, the mark used by an American importing company in New York City. The company worked from 1893 to about 1937.

On the back,

"The Elm at Cambridge, Mass. Where Washington took command of American army July 3rd, 1775"

The Washington Elm once stood on Cambridge Common in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Believed to have lived for more than 210 years, it died in 1923. By the 1830s, a popular legend had taken root, that under this tree, George Washington first took command of the Continental Army, a claim often attributed to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

In 1925, the Cambridge Historical Society publicly debunked the legend. Today, a plaque marks the spot where the tree once stood.

Size: 9.875"

Shipping: $10. Please allow one week for shipping.