Just the grand home of America’s first president, that is all.Â
With a grand view of the Potomac River, Mount Vernon was the plantation home of George Washington, the first president of the United States under the current constitution. (There was an ineffective confederacy for a while that had its own president.) The estate had been in the Washington family since 1674 and George’s father, Augustine Washington, built the first house on the property in 1734. George expanded the property and home after acquiring it in 1754. George lived here, with his wife Martha, until his death in 1799. The estate was later acquired by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (MVLA for simplicity’s sake) in 1858. MVLA saved the home and returned it to its original appearance. The group continues to run the property today. The MVLA and other similar groups have been essential at preserving early presidential homes before they could be lost and were operating well before the US Government decided to get involved (i.e., National Park Service).
The present mansion was built in several phases, which explains why the windows and doors on the front are a little hodge-podgely placed. While it looks like the house is built of stone, it’s really just fancy painted wood. The MVLA have restored the interior to that of the appearance of George and Martha’s time.
The weird front of the home (the placement of the windows bothers me) and its two wings.
The Potomac side of the home. They were working on the windows when I visited. The craftsmen where actually using period tools to do the repair. So cool.
Here’s a view of Mount Vernon from across the Potomac River at the National Colonial Farm.
The tour starts in the left wing’s Servants Hall, which was mostly used by visitors’ servants.
The “New Room” was the home’s fashionable salon, a room where visitors were entertained. This room would have certainly been impressive to many visitors, especially since this room alone was bigger than most homes in this era.
The Central Passage stretched from the front to the back of the house. Even this functional room was used to entertain and greet guests.
The Front Parlor was the fanciest room in the house before the New Room was completed. In winter and on rainy days, tea and coffee was served in this room. In the evenings, the family gathered here to talk, play games, and read. I’m digging that carpet.
The very blue Old Chamber was often used by guests visiting Mount Vernon.
The very striking Dining Room is part of the original house. George picked green because he thought it would be less likely to fade over time.
He even said that the green was “grateful to the eye.” I’m sorry George, this is a bit much.
This room is referred to as the Lafayette Room, because it is believed that the Marquis de Lafayette stayed here. Lafayette served in the Continental Army as a French volunteer.
It looks like a pattern book threw up in the Blue Room. The Lafayette Room and this room were once one room. It was later divided, and this room was used for storage. The Blue Room finally became a bedroom in 1776.
The Chintz Room had the best view of the house.
The Yellow Room is also a bit much.
The Washington Bedchamber was designed by Martha to be simple and functional. George Washington passed away in this room. The furniture is wrapped in plastic to protect it during renovations to the windows.
The Study was George’s retreat from his family and constant visitors.
Now out of the main house and into the other side wing. Kitchens at this time were often kept away from the main house. This one even had its own bread oven.
To the left and right of the house are service buildings and homes for workers. All of the buildings have exhibits inside.
Barn and stable, a must have in the 18th century. It even smells like a barn. The sheep pen is on the other side.
Much of the estate had a function, like this orchard. George was really into farming and growing new and exciting things in his gardens.
The Tomb of George and Martha Washington. This is their second resting place. The old tomb was shabby and this one was finished in 1831.
Mount Vernon is conveniently located on the Potomac River, just a bit downstream from the nation’s capital. He would have had a dock here for goods and visitors. Water was just the easiest way to get around then. Even today, you can take a boat cruise from Washington, DC to Mount Vernon.
Pioneer Farm represents the more than 3,000 acres of farmland George controlled. He was constantly trying new techniques and his slaves put his ideas to work.
The Round Barn (reconstructed in 1996) allowed mules or horses to thresh wheat, saving a ton of labor hours. The gaps in the floor were large enough to drop the wheat grains down to the lower level and the round designed allowed for the animals to walk in a circle.
An example of a typical field hand slave cabin.
Extremely sparse.
Heading back towards the house, passing through the Kitchen Garden. Most homes had to be more self-sufficient than they are today. Most of the fruits, vegetables, and herbs eaten at a rural home were grown in a kitchen garden.
The Washingtons hired a gardener from Scotland to attend to the home’s gardens. This was his house. However, this building was originally built to be a sick house. They understood social distancing even back in the 18th century.
Mount Vernon was very self-sufficient. It had its own blacksmith, laundry, gardens, and even a Spinning House to create fabric for workers, both enslaved and free, on the estate.
The Slave Quarters. Both men and women enslaved on the Mansion Farm (the area around and including the house) were boarded in bunkhouses near the home. They could have been field hands or skilled laborers and often served in the home.
It would have been torture in here. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
Mount Vernon even had its own greenhouse. George liked to tinker around growing plants in his “hot house.”
Mount Vernon is a fantastic place to learn about George Washington and early American history. However, they do need to put more work into telling the lives of everyone that lived on the estate, including the enslaved. Otherwise, Mount Vernon is a great place to visit, just maybe not in the middle of summer when it’s a thousand degrees out.
Go on a virtual tour of Mount Vernon. The MVLA did a fantastic job putting this together. Although, you may see a few changes if you compare my photos to theirs.
Check out my next update where I wander around Alexandria!
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