The FIrst Oval Office Project

PHOTOS BY BILL HOENK

Last week, Nantucket Historical Association partnered up with Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution to bring the First Oval Office Project to the island—a unique traveling exhibition of George Washington's Revolutionary War tent.

Each year, the hand-stitched replica tent is pitched outdoors at historic sites around the country. It is an interactive education and outreach program that allows participants to travel back in time and experience how this tent was used during the Revolutionary War. This was the exhibition's first ever visit to Nantucket.

Staged against the historic Old Mill on Prospect Street, which also dates back to the 18th century—in fact, built in 1746, it predates the Revolutionary War by nearly 30 years—the exhibition featured hand-made furniture, interactive equipment, and costumes that participants could wear for themselves to get the full Revolutionary War experience. Participants could also engage with performers who were dressed as 18th century revolutionaries.