Spinning Room

“Spinning should go forward with all possible dispatch, as we shall have nothing else to depend upon if these disputes [with England] continue…”

-George Washington, letter to his manager Lund Washington, August 20, 1775

Textile production was vital to achieving self-sufficiency at Mount Vernon.  Washington practiced selective breeding of sheep to produce better quality wool, grew flax and hemp for making linen cloth and rope, and experimented with cultivating cotton and silk. 

The Spinning Room was used for a variety of functions.  In a loft space above the Spinning Room, built-in bins served as storage for raw fibers brought in from the fields.  In their own quarters and alongside other tasks, enslaved spinners worked on spinning these raw fibers into thread that could then be used to weave material for clothing and other useful articles.  While slaves and itinerant weavers were able to produce basic textiles for plantation use, it was still necessary to import finer materials from England for the Washingtons’ table and clothing. 

The Spinning Room was restored to its eighteenth century appearance in 2004.

Overseer's Quarters 

 “He will conduct Himself with the utmost Integrity, Sobriety, Industry, & Zeal in the management of the various things put under His care…And every Saturdays evening He is to give in a Written report to the Manager, what way the hands have been employed, And what Work they have performed, the State of the Stock, and what Increase or Decrease if any…”

-Articles of Agreement between Roger Farrell and George Washington, November 24, 1798

Because of his extended absences from Mount Vernon, George Washington relied on his overseers to help keep his estates running smoothly day-to-day.  Each of Washington’s five farms had its own overseer who managed free and enslaved labor, supervised livestock and crops, and submitted weekly work reports to the farm manager. 

Roger Farrell, the Mansion House farm overseer in 1799, was also responsible for supervising the annual harvests of fish and hay, keeping Washington supplied with mutton, lamb, veal, and firewood, and for repairing fences around the estate, among other tasks.  In return for fulfilling a variety of duties, Farrell received an annual wage of $133.33 plus “Board, bed Lodging & washing.”