Like mother, like daughter.  If Mary Ball Washington and her daughter Betty Washington Lewis were not completely alike, they were at least very similar.  Both were widowed, both lived in Fredericksburg and both had households supported in part, if not entirely, by George Washington. 

Betty's husband Fielding Lewis was a wealthy landowner, businessman, court justice and member of the House of Burgesses. He was also a patriot who built a gunnery during the Revolutionary War to arm the Continental Army.   Lewis spared no expense building a luxurious Georgian mansion shortly after marrying Betty in 1750.  Kenmore was one of the earliest colonial mansions to have plastered rather than paneled walls.  The ornate plasterwork on walls and ceilings is considered the finest example of the art in the United States.  The drawing room ceiling is a masterpiece and deservedly was included in Helen Comstock's 100 Most Beautiful Rooms in America (now unfortunately out of print).

It is well that Fielding Lewis did not wait to build his bride a home; his efforts to support the Continental army bankrupted him.  He used his substantial fortune to found the Fredericksburg Gunnery which manufactured and repaired munitions for the army.  He also outfitted ships.  His death just two months after Yorktown gave him no opportunity to recoup his losses, thus it fell to Betty’s brother George to help support her household.

The house is in the final stages of a major restoration so the tour focuses on its construction and preservation.