The official House of Washington J-W-J monogram

Washington × Prensa · Established 2006

The House of Washington

Built Daily, Always Becoming.

Welcome Home.

This House is not defined by walls. It is built through the values, traditions, lessons, and love we choose to carry forward together.

Enter the House

Our Story

Washington × Prensa

July 21, 2006

Every family has a beginning.

Ours began on July 21, 2006, when Washington and Prensa became one.

What began as a marriage became something much greater—a family built on love, commitment, faith, perseverance, and the belief that our greatest legacy would never be measured by what we owned, but by who we became together.

Over the years, we have celebrated milestones, faced challenges, moved across continents, and grown through experiences that shaped each of us in different ways.

Through every season, one truth became increasingly clear:

A family is not defined by where it lives.

A family is defined by what it builds together.

That realization inspired the creation of The House of Washington.

The House is not a building.

It is our culture.

It is the values we choose to practice, the traditions we choose to preserve, the lessons we choose to pass on, and the love we choose to demonstrate every day.

It is a living reminder that our family is always becoming.

This House belongs to all of us.

It will continue to grow because we will continue to grow. It will never be finished.

Like each of us...

It is Built Daily, Always Becoming.

From the Archive

Wedding invitation for Janice Rosa Prensa and Jamel Benjamin Washington, July 21, 2006, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Our Wedding Invitation · July 21, 2006 · Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Washington × Prensa · Two histories. One House.

Before Us

The stories that brought us here.

Washington × Prensa did not begin with us. Long before our two names came together, two families were already building, moving, sacrificing, loving, and making a way for the generations that would follow. This is only the beginning of those stories.

Thelma Washington

The Washington Story · Surry, Virginia → New York

Thelma Washington

This branch of the Washington family traces its roots to the small town of Surry, Virginia. Among the people who carried that story forward was Thelma Washington, the family matriarch whose legacy lived far beyond her lifetime. I was only two when she passed, but I grew up knowing of her through the people who knew and loved her. In their words, she was a truly remarkable woman.

She Built It. We Continue It.

Young Rosa Milagros Julian Prensa

The Prensa Story · Dominican Republic → New York

Rosa Milagros Julian Prensa

The Prensa story reaches back to the Dominican Republic and to the family that made its way to New York. At the heart of Janice's story is her mother, Rosa—Abuela to the next generation. A remarkable woman and a steady foundation in Janice's life, she is part of the living bridge between the family that came before and the family we are building today.

The Grandmothers They Know

Ernestine Washington with her sons Jamel and Clyde

Ernestine Washington

With her sons Jamel and Clyde.

Rosa with her children Janice and Raul

Rosa

With her children Janice and Raul.

We Build It Forward, While We Remember the Past.

The Washington Key

A reminder of your place within the House.

If you are holding a Washington Key, you have not been given membership in this House. You have been reminded of your place within it.

This key does not unlock a door. It unlocks a commitment.

A commitment to honor one another. To lead with love. To keep learning. To continue building. To leave this family stronger for the generations that follow.

Every time you hold this key, remember:

The House of Washington is not inherited.
It is built. Every day. One decision at a time.

For family members with a Washington Key

Turn the Key
The Washington Key insert explaining the K.E.Y. principles

The Key is not simply something we possess. It is a reminder of what we have been entrusted to carry forward.

The Washington Principles

How we live inside this House.

The Washington Key carries four words for a reason. They are the pillars we return to as we build this House every day.

HONOR

We do what is right, even when no one is watching.

LOVE

We love with our words, our actions, and our presence.

LEARN

We stay curious, teachable, and committed to growth.

BUILD

We build strong relationships, strong character, and a legacy that lasts.

01

Love Over Blood

Blood makes you related. Love makes you family.

02

See the Unseen

Notice those others overlook. Make people feel seen, heard, and valued.

03

Don't Be Your First No

Never decide what you can't do before giving yourself the chance to try.

04

Own What Is Yours

Take responsibility for your choices and accountability for their consequences.

05

Give the Respect You Expect

Give others the same respect you would want in return.

06

Seek to Understand

Listen long enough to understand what you once misunderstood.

We Are All of Everything,
Not One of Anything.

What We Preserve

Legacy is not what we leave behind. It is what we build into people.

The House of Washington is a home for both of our histories, our family traditions, our creative work, and the lessons we want carried forward.

  • The Washington StoryRemembered
  • The Prensa StoryHonored
  • Stories & ArtifactsPreserved
  • Values & PrinciplesPracticed
  • Future GenerationsPrepared

Two histories became one House. The House will continue to grow because we will continue to grow.

Washington × Prensa

The Crest of the House

Every symbol carries a piece of our story.

A visual expression of where we come from, what shaped us, and what we choose to carry forward.

The House of Washington family crest

Our Family Motto

Built Daily, Always Becoming.

The House is not something one person creates. It is something we choose, practice, repair, strengthen, and build together.

The First Edition · Issued to the founding members of The House of Washington · July 2026

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