Washington died in December of 1799. This sampler was made in 1800. This is the earliest known memorial sampler for General / President George Washington. It was sewn by Rosina Meeser in 1800. There is a floral decorative border. Meeser also included the alphabet at the top. The poem reads: “AND IS IT SO, IS WASHINGTON NO MORE, FAME BLOW A BLAST TO STARTLE EVERY SHORE, LET EVERY SHORE THE SOLEMN NOTE REBOUND, TILL UNIVERSAL NATURE CATCH THE SOUND, THE AWFUL SOUND TO ANNOUNCE THAT STROKE OF FATE, THE DEATH OF ALL THAT’S GLORIOUS, GOOD AND GREAT, OF ALL THAT KINDRED ANGELS STOOP’D TO SCAN, THE BRIGHTEST WONDER OF THAT WONDER MAN, AND COULD NOT GOODNESS, COULD NOT GREATNESS SAVE, NOR HUMAN GLORY RESCUE FROM THE GRAVE, COULD NOT A NATION’S SIGHS, A NATIONS PRAYERS, PROCURE FOR ONE A CEASLESS ROUND OF YEARS, COULD NOT A MAIL OF VIRTUE GUARD HIS HEART, AND TURN ASIDE THE RUTHLESS CONQUEROR’S DART, COULD NOT THAT ARM, WHICH INDEPENDENCE WON, THAT EYE, ALL PIERCING AS ITS FIRE, THE SUN, THAT GODLINE MEIN, THAT SWORD, THAT NODDING PLUME, UNNERVE THE TYRANT, STAY THE WARRIOR’S DOOM, BUT MUST THE HEROE WITH THE BEGGAR FASS, AND IS THE SILENT TOMB THE LOT OF ALL, ROSINA MEESER 1800.” Measures 25-1/2 inches tall by 20-1/2 inches wide. The 19th century frame shows wear. The border of the sampler is attached with nails to the wood border. The piece has some staining, browning, and ink bleeding from some of the colored thread into the backing. There are some losses around the border. A rare piece of Americana.