Unmarked graves belonged to George Washington descendants

Researchers collected samples from five unmarked graves
Two belonged to the former president's grandnephews
A third belonged to their mother

Updated: Mar 28, 2024 / 11:53 PM CDT

circa 1790: George Washington, the 1st President of the United States of America. Original Publication: From the engraving by W Nutter, after CG Stuart. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

(NewsNation) —DNA testing led to the discovery of burials, the corpses of which turned out to be relatives of President George Washington.

The discovery began with a 1999 excavation in Charles Town, West Virginia, at Harewood Cemetery, where researchers set out to identify the unmarked grave of President George Washington’s younger brother Samuel Washington, according to a report published in the journal iScience.

Altogether, five unmarked graves were discovered and their skeletal remains were collected for testing.

New DNA analysis helped identify three sets of remains presumably belonging to George Washington’s grandnephews George Steptoe Washington and Samuel Walter Washington, and their mother Lucy Payne Washington.

Payne is recognized the first bride wed in the White House, having married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd on March 29, 1812, according to a Gizmodo report.