We hope you enjoy watching the construction progress at George Washington's Distillery.  We will continue to add new photos until the building is rebuilt. To learn more about the reconstruction, please visit Distilling the Past, our Interactive Dig hosted by Archaeology Magazine.

The History Channel visits the distillery in mid-January to film a short movie, which will be shown on the second floor when the reconstruction opens in April.

Interpreters reenact carting away barrels of whiskey for the filming.

The first snow of the season!

The water flows from the millrace, down the wooden trough, and into the distillery where it feeds the worm tubs.

 

Finishing touches are added to bring the reconstructed distillery to life.

 

The trough leads into the building and feeds water to the five stills.

 

This wooden trough brings water from the millrace into the distillery.

 

The top of a whiskey barrel.

The stills, furnaces, and worm tubs are installed.

 

The stone flooring is done and the mash tubs are set out.

In September 2006, the whiskey distillery was dedicated.

Laying the cobble floor where mashing and fermenting will take place.

East facade of the distillery.

The roof is completed, September 7.

 

It’s August and the roof is going up!

           

Close up of the roof on the east façade.

More progress on the roof.

Close up of the roof on the west façade.

         

Working on the roof and loft space.

  

The floor gets put in around the furnaces.

          

Close up of the furnace.

 

Two chimneys are almost done the last week of May.

  

Volunteer Tom Greer was a huge help working on the well.

Placement of the five stills begins early April.

Bricking two copper pot stills into the southern furnace.

 

Stills bricked into furnace.

 

The door into the still room.

       

Constructed began on the still furnaces now that the walls are finished, March 10.

The week of Feb. 8 the eleavator shaft was built.

      

The elevator shaft will be hidden under the roof.

The distillery walls are almost complete Feb. 3.

    

The four walls of the distillery from the gristmill.

The west wall has two windows.

     

The addition will house stairs and an elevator, Jan. 19.

Sam working on the southern wall.

     

The partition wall, Jan. 10.

Esther looking out the door to the distillery.

   

The masons on the east wall, Jan. 10.

The distillery from Washington's gristmill, Dec. 22.

   

The door to the office and store room.

Setting the door to the office and store room, Dec. 14.

The frame for the door to the still room.

  

The wall between the main room and the store room is almost complete, Dec. 14

The masons opened the tent sides due to the balmy weather Nov. 28.

  

The west wall, Nov. 28.

The masons erected a tent to continue their work into the winter.

Inside the tent, work continues on the store room walls, Nov. 21.

The masons building the whiskey store room and office, Nov. 14.

      

An addition, housing stairs and elevator, is constructed of concrete block with a stone facing.

Building the store room and office, Nov. 8.

        

Preparing to pour concrete around the boiler, Nov. 8.

Limited archaeological excavation for the water system began in October.

The south wall is finished, Nov. 1.

   

Water to cool the worm tubs will enter the building through this hole.

October 17, the south wall was the focus.

The cornerstone is covered to protect it as the wall grows taller.

   

The masons worked on the south wall this week.

October 6, the southern wall is almost halfway done.

        

The southeast corner grew several courses taller the week after the cornerstone was placed.

The masons worked on the partition between the main room and the store room, 28 September.

The cornerstone of the distillery was unveiled 28 September.

       

Dennis and friend show off the new cornerstone.

The distillery viewed from Washington's Gristmill, September 23.

The southwest corner, September 23.

   

By September 23, the foundations for the still furnaces and boiler were laid.

This week, September 16, almost all the west wall is finished.

   

The masons fit each rock into place like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

          

The west wall is almost finished, the south wall much lower, September 16.

September 9, the southwest corner takes shape.

        

The west wall on September 9, 2005.

The west wall, with gristmill in the background, August 24.

Facing west, August 24.

   

A window is created, August 24.

A window on the west wall, August 24.

  

Eleanor shows off the masonry.

The Masons began work in mid-July. 

The southwest corner takes shape, July 21.

     

The distillery's south wall, July 21.

The southwest corner rises from the ground, July 21.