Mount
Vernon was the home of George Washington. Built of
wood in neoclassical Georgian style, theestate is
located near Mount Vernon, Virginia in Fairfax County,
on the banks of the Potomac River.
In 1674 John Washington and Nicholas Spencer came
into possession of the land from which Mount Vernon
plantation would be carved. When John died in 1677,
his son Lawrence, George Washington's grandfather,
inherited a bit less than half of the original tract.
In 1743 George Washington's half-brother Lawrence
Washington rebuilt the home their father Augustine
had earlier built on the property. Initially named
Epsewasson after a facing creek, the plantation was
later renamed in honor of Admiral Edward Vernon, under
whom Lawrence had served in the British campaigns
against the Spanish in the West Indies. George was
responsible for a great number of additions and improvements
to the structures. On two occasions he practically
rebuilt the main house, doubling its size each time.
The great majority of the work was performed by slaves
and artisans.
In 1754, following Lawrence's 1752 death, George leased
the estate from his sister-in-law, Anne. Upon Anne's
death in 1761 he inherited the property. From 1759
until the American Revolutionary War, Washington,
who at the time aspired to become a prominent agriculturist,
operated the estate as five separate farms. Washington
took a scientific approach to farming and kept extensive
and meticulous records of both labor and results.
Following his service in the war, Washington returned
to Mount Vernon and in 1785-1786 spent a great deal
of effort in improving the landscaping of the estate.
It is estimated that during his terms as US President
(1789-1797) Washington spent 434 days in residence
at Mount Vernon. After his presidency, Washington
tended to repairs to the buildings, socializing, and
further gardening. The remains of George and Martha
Washington, as well as other family members, are entombed
on the grounds.
Mt. Vernon depicted on a 1936 U.S.
postage stampAfter Washington's death in 1799, plantation
ownership passed through a series of descendants
who lacked either the will or the means to maintain
the property. After trying unsuccessfully for five
years to restore the estate, John Augustine Washington
offered it for sale in 1848. The Virginia and United
States governments declined to buy the home and
estate.
In 1860, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of
the Union, under the leadership of Ann Pamela Cunningham,
acquired the mansion and a portion of the land for
US$200,000, rescuing it from a state of disrepair
and neglect. The estate served as neutral ground
for both sides during the Civil War, although fighting
raged across the nearby countryside. The mansion
has been restored by the Association (without accepting
any state or Federal funds), complete with period
furniture and fixings,
and today serves as a popular tourist attraction.
The estate is also well known for its exceptional
landscaping and ancillary buildings.
