New Waterfront Mural Honors Ona Judge's Fight for Freedom

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A newly unveiled mural on the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, waterfront honors Ona Judge, an enslaved woman who escaped from George Washington’s household and built a free life in the city more than 230 years ago.

Created by artist Manuel Ramirez and commissioned by the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, the 13-by-15-foot work depicts Judge arriving in Portsmouth in 1796, the moment she stepped into a future she chose for herself. By bringing her likeness to a prominent public space, the mural celebrates the courage of a woman whose remarkable story remained largely absent from mainstream history for generations.

Created through a combination of historical research, artificial intelligence, and traditional painting techniques, the mural presents an interpretation of Judge based on the only surviving physical description of her. No known portraits exist, making the project both an artistic and historical undertaking. Ramirez worked closely with the Black Heritage Trail to transform archival records into a powerful visual tribute that reconnects viewers with a pivotal figure in the history of American freedom.

Though little known for much of American history, Judge occupies a significant place in the nation’s story. Born into slavery at Mount Vernon around 1774, she served as Martha Washington’s personal maid and accompanied the Washington family to New York and Philadelphia during George Washington’s presidency. While living in Philadelphia, Judge encountered the city’s free Black community and gained a glimpse of a life beyond enslavement.

In May 1796, after learning that the Washington family planned to give her away as a wedding gift to Martha Washington’s granddaughter, Judge decided to escape. With assistance from members of Philadelphia’s free Black community, she boarded a ship bound for Portsmouth and left the President’s House while the Washington family ate dinner. She was 22 years old.

Washington spent years attempting to recapture her. Judge repeatedly refused to return, insisting that freedom mattered more than the security she had left behind. She eventually settled in New Hampshire, married a free Black sailor named Jack Staines, raised a family, and remained free for the rest of her life despite continued legal threats.

Today, historians recognize Judge not only for her daring escape but also for the rare firsthand accounts she left behind. In interviews conducted late in her life, she spoke openly about slavery, her decision to flee, and her determination to control her own future. Her testimony provides an invaluable perspective on the realities of enslavement during the nation's founding era and remains one of the most important first-person accounts from an enslaved woman connected to the Washington household.

For the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, the mural serves as a permanent reminder of a woman whose courage challenged one of the most powerful men in the country and whose pursuit of freedom continues to resonate centuries later.

By placing Judge’s story in a prominent public space, the mural restores visibility to a figure whose legacy has often remained overshadowed. More than a portrait, it stands as a tribute to resilience, self-determination, and the enduring pursuit of freedom.

More than two centuries after Ona Judge escaped slavery and arrived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as a free woman, a new waterfront mural honors her courage and preserves her legacy for future generations.

Ona Judge Mural Portsmouth New Hampshire

Runaway Advertisement for Oney Judge, enslaved servant in George Washington's presidential household. The Pennsylvania Gazette, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 24, 1796. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)