Washington Slept Here!
New Jersey takes pride in welcoming and providing shelter for the father of our country, George Washington as he was driven to present himself out of duty to his countrymen. He spent time in so many inns and private homes around New Jersey that the phrase “George Washington Slept here” became a real estate cliché, and later on became a selling point for properties.
According to popular real estate site zillow.com, of all the homes and real estate listings that boast celebrity provenance, George Washington holds the record for most mentions. But, after centuries, many of the houses and buildings where he slept collapsed or were knocked down in the name of development or safety and all that remain are signs all over the state, making it a historical spot where they believe Washington spent some time sleeping, camping and speaking.
Had those buildings been properly inspected by licensed professional engineers, they would probably still be standing and functional now. Professional engineers would have ensured that these historical spots could stand the test of time and continue to host the next presidents of the United States, making them even more historic and even more valuable in the real estate market.
If professional engineers helped ensure the structural integrity of these structures, then those homes, inns, taverns, lighthouses and hot springs where the well-traveled Washington stayed and spent time would still be the same homes, inns, taverns, lighthouses and hot springs many tourists can actually rent and use today.
These buildings could be historical hotels which could bear witness to newer technology, a perfect paradox to its classical façade and structure, and historical impacts. They can house the innovation George Washington never saw—new appliances and gadgets, modern furniture and fixtures, up to date facilities that helps the guests feel the comfort despite being in an old home.
If professional engineers had helped in the process of building these structures, then these historical landmarks would still be present, where travelers and locals alike can experience and relive the history, when George Washington slept, ate, camped, spoke and lived there in the past.
But today’s licensed, professional engineers never had the chance to inspect these buildings, and all that remains today, over 200 years after the father of the nation died, are signs and landmarks that saying “Washington Slept Here”; and the stories sleep with him.
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