Visiting Mount Vernon, Virginia

For more than 45 years the first President of the United States, George Washington, lived on the Little Hunting Creek Plantation, now known as Mount Vernon in Virginia.

This handsome estate, was originally owned by Washington’s great grandfather, John Washington. The estate was later renamed Mount Vernon, by Washington’s brother after his commanding officer in the British navy, Admiral Edward Vernon. Washington inherited the Virginia plantation after the death of his sister-in-law in 1761 and over the span of his 40+ years of ownership, expanded the grounds from 2,000 to almost 8,000 acres and added on numerous outbuildings.

An exterior decorative treatment gives the mansion the appearance of being built of stone, but the house is actually constructed of pine. Washington designed most of the buildings and landscape for Mount Vernon himself and raised the mansion from one and a half stories to two and a half stories. He began to enlarge the north and south wings of the home before the start of the Revolutionary War. The Large Dining Room was the last room of the house to be completed after the war ended.

Washington also designed the two-story piazza, which overlooks the Potomac River. Family and guests of Mount Vernon gathered in this area of the mansion in the summertime to enjoy the breeze off the Potomac. The lanes and gardens were also redone by Washington in a manner that was both practical, from the north to the south of the property, for a working farm and aesthetically pleasing to the eye along the walkways and formal gardens east and west.

Mount Vernon was a self-contained community, providing almost everything that was needed to live within its confines. Any items the plantation needed and could not produce were ordered annually by George Washington. These manufactured goods were transported to Mount Vernon from cities in England and America. These supplies included tools, nails, and clothing for slaves and were stored and locked in the storehouse. Only Washington and his manager had keys to this building.

The coach house provided storage for the family coach and a lighter, two wheeled-vehicle known as a chaise. The coach displayed at Mount Vernon once belonged to family friend, Mayor Samuel Powel of Philadelphia.

The Wash House was indeed a busy place during Washington’s ownwership, due to the many house guests they entertained. If was said that slaves worked up to six days a week, cleaning, drying and ironing for the family and guests, as well as household textiles.

The spinning house was where other slaves were employed for spinning and knitting goods for clothing. The wool and flax used in the textile production was grown on the estate.

The kitchen was always a busy place due to the many guests. Breakfast was served promptly at 7:00 a.m., dinner at 3:00 p.m., tea was served at 6:00 p.m., and a light supper was often served at 9:00 p.m. Meats were preserved on the estate and hogs were generally slaughtered and butchered by slaves in December or January. The meat was then smoked to preserve it to last the rest of the year to be eaten by the Washingtons and their guests.. Proud of their smokehouse, the Washington’s sometimes sent gifts of ham to their friends as well. This building was kept locked to prevent theft.

The kitchen garden was first laid out in 1760 as a practical garden where vegetables, fruit, berries, and herbs were grown for the kitchen. The garden was walled to protect the plants from wild animals. A natural slope was terraced to give the gardener two planting levels. The garden was above and beyond the produce grown on the five working farms of Mount Vernon.

George Washington also had his slaves farm the Potomac River every spring. Shad and herring, were salted and stored in large barrels to preserve them for use on the plantation and for sale. In one year over 1,000,000 fish were caught in a six-week period. A large amount of the preserved fish was kept to feed the slaves. The rest was sold in cities along the east coast and in the West Indies.

This self contained community designed and managed by George Washington provides many more interesting artifacts, exhibits and stories. If you are planning a visit to Mount Vernon, the estate is open to the public seven days a week, every day of the year, including holidays and Christmas. Visitors are welcomed from April through August, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., March, September, October from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and November through February from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

A tour of this grand plantation is one memory you will not soon forget!