George Washington's Mount Vernon

3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy, Mt Vernon, VA 22121, USA

Virginia

state

VA - Fairfax

county

VA - Alexandria

city

MUSEUM

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Mount Vernon was the plantation and home of George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate lies on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia. It is located 15 miles south of Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Virginia. Following Washington's death in 1799, the estate progressively declined under the ownership of several successive generations of the family. In 1858, the was taken over by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. The mansion and its surrounding buildings did escape damage from the American Civil War. Mount Vernon was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Gardens, Restaurant, Gift Shop, Surviving Structures, Reconstructions, Programs, Tours, Exhibits, Living History, Livestock, Artisans

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The Washington family acquired land in the area in 1674. Around 1734, the family embarked on an expansion of its estate that continued under George Washington, who began leasing the estate in 1754 before becoming its sole owner in 1761. The mansion was built of wood in a loose Palladian style. The original house was built in about 1734 by George Washington's father Augustine Washington. When Washington's ancestors acquired the estate, it was known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation, after the nearby Little Hunting Creek. However, when Washington's older half-brother, Lawrence Washington, inherited it, he renamed it after Vice Admiral Edward Vernon, who had been his commanding officer during the War of Jenkins' Ear. When George Washington inherited the property, he retained the name. George Washington expanded the house twice, once in the late 1750s and again in the 1770s. It remained Washington's home for the rest of his life.

HOME

EST. 1734

The estate contained 8,000 acres when Washington lived there. Today's property consists of 500 acres, with the Mansion and over 30 outbuildings being situated near the riverfront. In 1774, the second expansion began. A two-story wing was added to the south side. Two years later a large two-story room was added to the north side. Two single-story secondary wings were built in 1775. These secondary wings, which house the servants hall on the northern side and the kitchen on the southern side, are connected to the corps de logis by symmetrical, quadrant colonnades, built in 1778.

Here, the Washington's hosted prominent Virginians and international figures both before and after the Revolutionary War. The Mount Vernon Conference was a meeting of delegates from Virginia and Maryland held March 21–28, 1785, to discuss navigational rights in the states' common waterways. Ratified by the legislature of both states, the compact helped set a precedent for later meetings between states for discussions into areas of mutual concern. Its success encouraged James Madison to advocate for further discussions on constitutional issues facing the states.

George Washington died here in his bedroom in December 1799. In accordance with his will, Washington was entombed in a family crypt he had built upon first inheriting the estate. It was in disrepair by 1799, so Washington's will also requested that a new, larger tomb be built. In 1831, the bodies of George and Martha Washington, along with other members of the family, were moved from the old crypt to the new family tomb.