500 Washington English Oak Blanket Chest from Althorp Collection
$3,300
This historic 17th century (circa 1650) English oak blanket chest reproduction has a molded-edge top with a paneled back and sides. The front is carved with ovals and lozenges on stile supports with ogee spandrels. This handsome oak chest’s dimensions are: 23”x 53”x 29”. On the inside of the chest’s top is a copy of a note that accompanied the original chest. The note is from the Washington family to the Spencer (as in Princess Diana) family, which has ties to George Washington’s ancestors. The original belonged to George Washington’s ancestors, who hailed from the village of Brington, England and are buried alongside ancestral Spencers in this village’s church cemetery.
Courtesy of Anonymous
501 Mount Vernon Wooden Bowl I
$250
This handcrafted wooden bowl was turned from a recently fallen 18th century Mount Vernon red oak tree. Turned from “green” wood, the bowl has formed its own individual shape as it dried. Own a unique part of history.
Courtesy of R. Clark Wadlow
502 George Washington Lafayette Legacy Collection: “Le Patrimoine” de Lafayette
$750
The Lafayette Legacy Collection is a series of six collector plates, manufactured by the Henri d’Arceau Limoges Porcelain Company in 1975, that depict the Marquis de Lafayette and his contribution to American independence. Each plate measures 8” in diameter and has its own original certificate of authenticity.
Courtesy of The Lipper Family Charitable Foundation
503 George and Martha Could Sleep Here
$2,500
Your daughter or granddaughter could be the next caretaker of Mount Vernon—a unique Mount Vernon doll house, that is. What girl would not love to play with this large (27”x 77”x 58”), darling replica of George Washington’s beloved mansion? As she grows up, this gift is guaranteed to be among her most treasured childhood memories. Made by Tom Fletcher in 1985, this sturdy but dainty doll house is furnished completely with Early American-style furniture and features authentic, intricate detail. A marvelous way to both educate and entertain a special young lady in your life.
Courtesy of the Matheson Family
504 All Aboard for Two Pieces of Buffalo China
$1,200
“The George Washington” was inaugurated by the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad in 1932 as a stately new overnight passenger train between Washington, DC and Cincinnati. “The George,” as it was known, was billed as the most wonderful train in the world. The C&O decided to purchase new china worthy for this grand new experience and a special service set, unlike any other commercial china produced, was duly ordered. The crowning achievement in this china’s creation is the reproduction of Gilbert Stuart’s Athenaeum portrait of George Washington to celebrate the bicentennial of Washington’s 1732 birth. In the October 2006 Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Magazine, Daniel J. Navarre described these china pieces made in Buffalo, New York: “The body color of the new china was ivory and the genuine gold was applied by hand. Not all pieces have the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington.” The two pieces are a 10” plate and an 11” oval platter; both bear the regal Washington portrait.
Courtesy of Mr. Ben Stefanski II
505 Framed Mount Vernon Postcards
$260
A handsomely framed set of three antique black-and-white postcards of Mount Vernon would look perfect on the wall of an office or study in your home. The well-known views include the piazza of the Mansion, the northeast view of the Mansion, and the west elevation of the Mansion. To accompany this display for your wall is a framed set of three color postcards of Mount Vernon from the early part of the 20th century, which show views of the east front of the Mansion, portraits of George and Martha Washington, and Washington’s tomb.
Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. James M. Walton
506 Architects of Democracy China Collection
$1,000
What an historical find! This is the collectible Bicentennial Architects of Democracy China Collection. Within a handsome cabinet is a beautiful set of colorful plates painted originally by Charles Wilson Peale of our country’s distinctive architects: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. This is a limited edition to 1776 sets, #1742. All plates are 10 inches in diameter and made by Franciscan Masterpiece China. Each plate is in a separate lined drawer in a wood cabinet.
Courtesy of Ben S. Stefanski II
507 1890 First Map of a National Road to Mount Vernon
$750
A rare 1890 map, part of the original proposal for a “National Road from Washington, DC to Mount Vernon,” depicts the route south through Alexandria to the grounds of George Washington’s home. U.S. Army Engineer Peter Hains supervised the surveys conducted for this photo-copied map and his signature appears over the mud flats later filled under his supervision and named Hains Point as a part of Washington’s East Potomac Park.
A train line to Mount Vernon was constructed in 1890-1892 and operated until the late 1920s, when engineering began along the same route for what then was referred to as the Mount Vernon Parkway. The highway was planned to follow the “train line” except for the section adhering to the Potomac shoreline from “Collingswood Beach” around Sheridan Point to the traffic circle (once the train turn-around) at Mount Vernon’s North Gate. In 1932, the George Washington Parkway was completed and opened for the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth, more than 40 years after the initial proposal as documented in this map.
Courtesy of Dr. Thomas F. Cleary
508 Rare-Breed Lambs up for “Adoption”!
$75
Sponsor a lamb and his or her mother for three months, and you will help protect this critically endangered breed. Support a fun and popular aspect of Mount Vernon’s real-life experience, 18th century style. Hogg Island sheep, a domesticated breed of English origin who were isolated on the island for which they are named for nearly 200 years, became feral. By the 1970s their ever-increasing population placed their small barrier-island homeland in peril due to overgrazing and they were removed. Today, less than 200 individuals survive in compact “foundation” herds like Mount Vernon’s. Early each spring, we welcome lambs to the delight of visitors and staff alike.
Courtesy of Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
509 Medieval Metal Candle Stands
$300
This reproduction set of two candle stands were crafted at the ancestral home of the Fairfax family at Leeds Castle in Kent, England. The Fairfaxes were the Lords Proprietors of Virginia’s Northern Neck and close friends and patrons of the Washingtons.
Courtesy of Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
510 Armoury Items to Inspire Courage in Face of Adversity
$325
This historic set includes a reproduction of General Washington’s classic holster pistol, a colorized reproduction print of his Crossing the Delaware and a brass identification plaque with his signature. This beautifully engraved non-firing reproduction of the famous Scottish 1760 flintlock pistol is an attractive, must-have collectible for any aficionado of our Revolutionary War.
This heavily embossed replica, which has a belt clip, is believed to be the pistol that “fired the shot heard ‘round the world” at Lexington, starting the American Revolution. Includes a handmade and signed cherry wood display stand for the pistol.
The Bunker Hill sword was designed in memory of the battle of June 17, 1775 when William Prescott commanded 1,500 Colonials in a bitterly fought defeat that showed the rag-tag Colonial Army was capable of standing its ground against the mightiest army in the world.
Courtesy of Collector’s Armoury and John Jones
511 Orderly Summons; Timeless Text
$400
Three items, each made from trees planted by George Washington. The link to our Founding Father endures thanks to a local artisan who made a worthy gavel in walnut with its accompanying striking block. Also included are two writing pens to take names for those who fail to respond quickly when gaveled to order. One pen is cherry and the second is white ash wood taken from a recently felled Mount Vernon tree. All with certificates of authenticity.
Courtesy of James McVee and Glenn Thyrion
512 Mount Vernon Wooden Bowl II
$250
This handcrafted wooden bowl was turned from a recently fallen 18th century Mount Vernon red oak tree. Turned from “green” wood, the bowl has formed its own individual shape as it dried. Own a unique part of history.
Courtesy of R. Clark Wadlow
513 Touched by the Hand of George Washington
$400
Two one-of-a-kind dolls, the heads of which were made from an ash tree planted by George Washington. Both dolls are roughly 12” tall and are mounted on a wood display stand. Each is elegantly clothed in hand-made garments reflecting the style of the late 18th century. They are made from two small portions of a Mount Vernon tree felled by a June 2008 storm and live on as hand-painted faces of George Washington, the man who planted it, and his steadfast wife Martha. A copy of Mount Vernon, Love Story signed by author Mary Higgins Clark is included.
Courtesy of Silhouette Dolls
514 Handmade at Mount Vernon
$400
Mount Vernon has not only a credo for being community-spirited, but also a strong belief in sustainable practices. The following items are sure to enhance your existence as you marvel at the extent of the estate’s productions. The sheep are shorn, yarn is spun from the wool, and the wool is made into a handmade woven shawl. Soap, candles, rope, flour, cornmeal and honey are also made with tender loving care on the premises. Don’t forget the chocolate that Mount Vernon added to the list in late 2008. The basket to carry all of these treasures home was also handmade at the estate. Fabulous!
Courtesy of Sandy Newton and Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
