02/26/2026
Alexandra Ford, a re-enactor from the American Historical Theatre, will portray the life and times of Ona "Oney" Judge -- an enslaved woman who escaped from President George Washington's House in Philadelphia -- at the THE FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE in Woodbury at 5 PM on Saturday, February 28.
The program is co-sponsored by Woodbury Juneteenth, the Historical Society, and and Revolution NJ.
The program is FREE but registration is required (see links below).
Judge was one of nine enslaved people held in forced labor positions at President George Washington's house in Philadelphia during his presidency. The other were Moll, Hercules, Richmond, Austin, Giles, Paris, Christopher Sheels and Joe Richardson.
Judge became famous for completely disappearing and alluding Washington's 1790s attempts to have her captured and returned to him. She hid away and was never caught--but never lived a full life as a free woman.
Judge became famous for completely disappearing and alluding Washington’s 1790s attempts to have her captured and returned to him. She hid away and was never caught—but never lived a full life as a free woman.
Despite her brilliance as a seamstress, Judge lived in poverty in a rural seacoast area of southeastern New Hampshire where she died on February 25, 1848.
Erasing Slavery History
In January, citing Donald Trump's Executive Order 14253, the National Park Service ripped down an extensive exhibit at the Washington House historical site in Philadelphia that detailed Judge's and the other enslaved peoples' lives and work in the presidential mansion.
Ford is a professional actor-historian based in the Philadelphia area who portrays notable Black women in American history. She is a member of the American Historical Theatre, an organization that provides living history performances for schools, museums, and community groups. She portrays Ona Judge and Rosa Parks in living history presentations and has degrees in Literature, Arts, and Philosophy from Camden County Community College and in Theatre Studies from Montclair State University.
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Contact: [email protected] | (856) 848-8531
Museum Location: bit.ly/gchs-museum
County justice Complex Parking Garage: bit.ly/woodbury-free-par
