Martha Washington's Parrot Ornament

Martha Washington's Parrot ornament is one of the unique products of St. Nicolas, a British company, which has worked with a small Christian charity in Thailand or India for 25 years. Martha owned several green parrots and a cockatiel. Birds were a feature of life at Mount Vernon for at least three decades. In the 1790s, during George Washington's presidency when the government was settled in Philadelphia.

As the family was packing up to return to Mount Vernon after Washington's retirement in early March of 1797, the exasperated former president complained in a letter that, "On one side I am called upon to remember the Parrot [sic], on the other to remember the dog. For my own part I should not pine much if both were forgot.

The green parrot ornament has colorful sequins and gold embroidery on the front and "Martha's Parrot" on the back. The ornament with gold cord for hanging is approximately 5" x 2".