Phyllis Chapman: First Lady Dolley Madison, Queen of Washington City

Program Type: History & Genealogy
Age Group: Adults

Registration is required. Registration will close on March 15, 2026 @ 1:00pm. There are 13 seats remaining.

Colonie Historical Society presents Phyllis Chapman as First Lady Dolley Madison: Queen of Washington City.

Born into a Quaker family, Dolley Payne Todd married James Madison after her first husband died. Joining the social and political whirl in the nation’s capital, Dolley enjoyed being able to shine. In 1809, when “Lady President” Dolley Madison took residence in the “President's Palace”, it was an unfurnished hull. “Washington City”, as it was known, was a rustic, muddy town with a divisive political climate and rowdy behavior in Congress. While her husband dealt with a “second War for Independence” with Britain, Dolley “polished” Washington City with style and grace. When Washington was invaded and burned by the British in 1814, she bravely rescued important government papers and the famous portrait of George Washington from the President's House, at no small risk to her own safety. Beloved into her later years, she remained the social center of the Capital: the “Queen of Washington.”

Phyllis Chapman is a well-known historic interpreter who runs her own business called “Vintage Visitors.” She portrays influential women from American history, in costume and speaking in the first person. Her portrayals include Clara Barton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Larcom — A New England mill girl, and Mrs. Margaret Brown, Survivor of the Titanic. She is also a Trustee on the Friends of the Bennington Battlefield in Hoosick Falls, NY, and participates in Living History programs there.