Raab Collection

The Raab Collection in Philadelphia is selling a piece of a dress that once belonged to Martha Washington.

By Jessica Blank
NBC News           

After a convoluted journey through many hands, a piece of Martha Washington’s dress that once belonged to the alleged mistress of Warren Harding, the 29th President of the United States, can now be yours – for a mere $40,000. 

The piece of silk is now associated with a scandal. Before Harding took office, the soon-to-be president allegedly had an affair with a woman named Nan Britton. When Britton gave birth to her illegitimate daughter, Elizabeth Ann, she claimed that Harding was the father, revealing the secrets of her reported affair in her 1927 self-published book, “The President’s Daughter.”  At the time, she was looked down upon as an unwed mother and became the target of much criticism for her claim, which was never verified.

About three months ago, a descendent of Britton’s family, who wishes to remain anonymous, found the almost 300-year-old 9” by 5” swatch of fabric and contacted the Raab Collection, a Philadelphia-area dealer of American historical documents, which has put it on sale.

“It was sitting in some file in someone’s basement, and when they first contacted us, they wanted to know if it was of value,” Nathan Raab, the collection’s vice president, told msnbc.com. 

Tracing the history of the dress

After months of studying family genealogies, photographs and historical documents, the Raab Collection verified that the piece of cloth originated from one of Martha Washington’s dresses, made in the 1700s. 

Since Martha and George Washington never had children together, many of the Washington family’s heirlooms were passed down to Martha’s children from her first marriage to Daniel Custis, who left her a widow.  The family treasured these heirlooms, including one of Martha’s silk dresses. 

“We don’t know what this specific dress was used for.  It could have been from a number of occasions,” Raab said.  “But the dress is well-recognized.”

Raab Collection

A handwritten letter from philanthropist Alden Freeman will also be included along with the dress fabric.

In 1932, a member of the Custis family cut a piece of the dress and gave it to philanthropist Alden Freeman as a gift. However, it didn’t remain in Freeman’s possession for very long. Instead, Freeman gave it to Nan Britton, accompanied with a heart-felt, handwritten letter. 

Freeman, acknowledging the hardships that Britton faced as an unwed mother, apparently wanted to show his appreciation for her strength.

“This little souvenir has special interest at this time as February 22, 1932, will be the 200th anniversary of the birth of our first President and the Father of our country,” he wrote.

A gift for a little girl ‘cast aside’

“I wish to here record my admiration and respect for the character of a perfect mother,  Nan Britton, and for her united, devoted, and loyal family… . I wish to record also my affection and admiration for that clever and precocious child, the daughter of our 29th President, Elizabeth Ann Harding.” 

In his letter, Freeman expressed his hope that Nan Britton would pass the historical piece of fabric to her daughter. And according to researchers at The Raab Collection, she did just that.

“It’s been with the Britton family since 1932. It’s amazing that something that Martha Washington wore still exists and was sitting in someone’s basement,” Raab said. “Someone felt bad for Nan and her daughter. It was a gift to a small child who was cast off and the story of the passing of Martha Washington’s dress by someone who had been cast aside.”