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Drawing owned and cherished by George Washington to hit Philadelphia auction

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Drawing owned and cherished by George Washington to hit Philadelphia auction


An ink-wash drawing once owned by President George Washington will be going under the hammer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The work of art, “The Destruction of the Bastille,” will be offered as a part of Freeman’s | Hindman Books and Manuscripts auction.

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The piece drawn in 1789 was personally gifted to Washington by French military commander Marquis de Lafayette, according to a press release from the auction house, which is headquartered in New York City.

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Notably, Major General Lafayette helped lead the Continental Army’s victory at Yorktown, Virginia, that ended the American Revolution in Oct. 1781.

George Washington “was taken by the young man’s ebullience and profound dedication to the American cause,” writes the Washington Library of Mount Vernon. 

“The Destruction of the Bastille” is an ink-wash drawing that was gifted to George Washington from Marquis de Lafayette. (Freeman’s | Hindman / Fox News)

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The drawing was “made at the onset of the French Revolution and only weeks after the Bastille fell” and was one of the two gifts Lafayette sent to Washington on behalf of France’s appreciation for the American president,” according to Freeman’s | Hindman auction house.

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The other was a main key to the Bastille prison, serving as a symbol of victory against French royal oppression.

The drawing was one of “Washington’s most cherished possessions,” according to Freeman’s | Hindman. The work of art will go under the hammer at the auction house’s location on Market Street in Philadelphia this September. (Heritage Images via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“The drawing would become one of Washington’s most cherished possessions, hanging prominently in the presidential house during his two terms, and then in the entryway of his Mount Vernon home, even after his death,” said the auction house’s press release.

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Before going under the hammer, the famed piece will return home on an international tour starting with a stop in Paris, France.

It will then be shown in New York and Chicago before heading to Philadelphia, the auction house said. 

Proceeds from th.sale of “The Destruction of the Bastille” will be split 50/50 with the Shriners Hospital for Children in Florida and the Masonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut to benefit each organization’s mission. (Freeman’s | Hindman; Heritage Images / Getty Images)

“It seems only fitting that it returns to Paris, the heart of French democracy, before being sold in Philadelphia, the cradle of American democracy. I can only imagine Washington and Lafayette would have appreciated the symmetry,” Darren Winston, senior vice president and co-head of Freeman’s | Hindman Books and Manuscripts department told FOX Business in a statement via email.

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He also said, “Freeman’s | Hindman is extraordinarily proud to offer this incredible testament to the power of liberty over oppression.”

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The auction will be held on Sept. 10. The work is art is estimated to sell for between $500,000 and $800,000.

All proceeds from the sale will be split 50/50 with the Shriners Hospital for Children, headquartered in Florida, and the Masonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut to benefit each organization’s mission.



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Washington

Inside Woodlawn Cemetery’s mission to preserve history

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Inside Woodlawn Cemetery’s mission to preserve history


The iron gate to Woodlawn Cemetery is almost always locked shut, but Toni White-Richardson was more than happy to let News4 inside.

As president of the Woodlawn Cemetery Perpetual Care Association, she was excited to talk about what makes this resting place so special.

“It is major D.C. history, first. Then it’s also major Black history, second,” White-Richardson said.

More than 30,000 people, mostly African Americans, are buried among the 22 acres of Woodlawn Cemetery, which opened in Southeast D.C. in 1895. And like so many cemeteries that date back to the 1800s, particularly African American cemeteries, this one has fallen into disrepair, is overgrown and has headstones tumbled over, like those of Wilhelmina and her husband James, and Eliza Spencer, a mother who died in 1887.

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“Let me do a very upfront disclaimer,” White-Richardson said. “We have no idea where these stones go. And when we looked at the grid, it became even clear as mud, it became less clear as to where these stones should really go. Unfortunately, when we look back, we can tell there was a plan, but we could see we never got totally completed. Even back then, there are no markers saying this is Section H or this is Section G or this is 102 and this is, none of that.”

One of the most notable Washingtonians laid to rest here is John Mercer Langston, Virginia’s first Black congressman.

“Langston University came one year because they had a grand reunion in D.C., and we arranged for them to come to see […] John Mercer Langston, the university that was named after this man,” White-Richardson said.

And Blance Bruce, the first Black U.S. senator to serve a full term and register of the treasury, is also buried in the cemetery.

“He’s the signature on our dollar bill, you know, back in the late 1800s,” White-Richardson said. “So, oh, it’s history. It’s capital letters. No getting around it.”

Woodlawn is also the resting place of several of the original founders of two of the country’s most prominent Black sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta. Both organizations volunteer to help with clean ups.

The Perpetual Care Association recently received a grant from the D.C. Office of Planning to help with upkeep of the grounds and preserving the history here.

“These are important individuals who’ve made contributions to the District a century ago, but today still their history and their stories reverberate and really influence the trajectory of our city,” said Anita Cozart, director of the D.C. Office of Planning.

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The cemetery tucked away off Benning Road is only open to the public five days a year, but groups can request tours anytime. The next chance to visit Woodlawn when it will be open to the public is Labor Day.

They’re always looking for volunteers and donors to help with the upkeep of this sacred ground.



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Parsing Trump’s claims about Washington’s reflecting pool

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Parsing Trump’s claims about Washington’s reflecting pool


US President Donald Trump wanted to mark the US’s 250th birthday with a renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall.

The makeover, including a new coat of “American Flag blue,” cost taxpayers $16 million (€14.1 million).

But the water is covered in green algae. The blue paint is already peeling. Trump has blamed vandals, while his critics question the project’s transparency and cost.

DW’s Brent Goff and Washington correspondent Janelle Dumalaon unpack the whole fiasco.

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Social media reacts to former BYU star AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 in 2026 NBA draft

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Social media reacts to former BYU star AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 in 2026 NBA draft


Former BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa fulfilled his dream of going No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA draft.

The Washington Wizards selected Dybantsa with the first pick.

Immediately after the pick, reactions poured in on social media about the Wizards drafting Dybantsa.

Social media reactions to the Washington Wizards selecting BYU star AJ Dybantsa

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Want more coverage of BYU sports? Take us with you wherever you go.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up to date on all your favorite teams.

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