President William Howard Taft

1912 and 1914

President William Howard Taft visited Mount Vernon on February 22, 1912, in honor of Washington’s birthday. An article in the Washington Herald, describing the festivities to come, reports:

Plans for what is expected to be the largest celebration of the birthday of George Washington ever held in this city are now complete.

Commencing this morning, with meetings of various associations and church services, continuing throughout the afternoon, when President Taft, as the guest of the George Washington Masonic Memorial Association, will journey to Mount Vernon and place a wreath on the tomb of the first President, until the last speech shall have been made and the last diner departed from the many banquets to be held in the evening, the day will be one of celebration in the memory of him who was ‘first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.’

President Taft and his wife, Helen Herron Taft, almost came out on another visit to Mount Vernon during the presidency:

After the Roosevelts had left the White House and Taft was President, he and Mrs. Taft were to have been guests of honor at an assembly of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. From the White House was telephoned information that the Presidential couple had driven to the Navy Yard and thence came word that they had embarked on the Mayflower en route for Mount Vernon. The Regent and Vice-regents were grouped on the East Portico and lawn fronting the Potomac, eagerly watching for the approach of the Presidential yacht. It resulted in considerable anti-climax, however, for word was presently received that Mrs. Taft, suddenly taken ill, had been forced to turn about and return at once to the White House.

American Bar Association

In 1914, as a former president, Taft came to Mount Vernon with a group from the American Bar Association and planted a white oak tree. As described in the Evening Star on October 22, 1914:

Former Gov. Montague of Virginia yesterday delivered the address of welcome, on behalf of the Virginia Bar Association, to the delegates to the convention who went to Mount Vernon as the guests of the District of Columbia Bar Association … Mr. Taft, president of the association, responded with an address lauding George Washington. Mr. Taft also plated a young oak tree near Washington’s tomb.

Panoramic view of the south and east lawn of Mount Vernon with members of the American Bar Association visiting the estate during their 37th annual meeting in Washington D.C. taking place October 20-22, 1914. Present among the group is the ABA's president—former U.S. President—William Howard Taft who served in this role from 1913-1914. Taft is seated on a bench in the center of the group and can be located by looking directly above the break between the words "Association" and "Held." (MVLA)

A closer look at this panoramic photograph shows that Taft is seated on a bench in the center of the group and can be located by looking directly above the break between the words "Association" and "Held."

But Taft’s relationship with Mount Vernon didn’t stop there. In 1922, Chief Justice Taft accepted an invitation to become a member of the MVLA’s Advisory Committee in 1922, with the last mention of him participating in this role in 1929.

US Presidents at Mount Vernon

1789
2022
George Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Andrew Jackson
James K. Polk
Millard Fillmore
James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln
Rutherford B. Hayes
Benjamin Harrison
William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Gerald Ford
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
George W. Bush
Donald Trump
President Joe Biden

TERM OF OFFICE: 1789-1797

George Washington

1st President of the United States. Mount Vernon was Washington's home from 1754 until his death in 1799.

John Adams

2nd President of the United States. Visited ca. June 10-11, 1800.

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Thomas Jefferson

3rd President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on January 3, 1801 to pay a condolence call on Martha Washington who was greiving the recent death of her husband.

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Andrew Jackson

7th President of the United States. Visited in November of 1815.

James K. Polk

11th President of the United States. Came to Mount Vernon in June 1845 with his wife, Sarah Childress Polk and former First Lady, Dolley Payne Madison.

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Millard Fillmore

13th President of the United States. Visited in March 1851.

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James Buchanan

15th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in 1860 with the Prince of Wales.

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Abraham Lincoln

16th President of the United States. In 1862, during the Civil War, Lincoln came to Mount Vernon via steam boat down the Potomac River.

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Rutherford B. Hayes

19th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on Saturday, May 18, 1878 with his wife.

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Benjamin Harrison

23rd President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in May of 1889.

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William McKinley

25th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on Thursday, December 14, 1899 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of George Washington's death.

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Theodore Roosevelt

26th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon many times with his family.

William Howard Taft

27th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in 1912 to place a wreath at Washington's tomb.

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Woodrow Wilson

28th President of the United States. Visited several times, including a grandiose Independence Day celebration in 1918.

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Calvin Coolidge

30th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon twice during his administration.

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Herbert Hoover

31st President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on Washington's 198th birthday in 1930, and again, two years later, on the 200th.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

32nd President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon on May 15, 1933 and many other occasions.

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Harry S. Truman

33rd President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in 1947.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower

34th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in 1958.

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John F. Kennedy

35th President of the United States. Hosted a state dinner at Mount Vernon for President Ayub Khan of Pakistan on Tuesday, July 11, 1961.

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Lyndon B. Johnson

36th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in 1961.

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Gerald Ford

38th President of the United States. Visited Mount Vernon in 1961 as a Congressman and again in 1976 during his presidency.

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Ronald Reagan

40th President of the United States. Came to Mount Vernon on Monday, February 22, 1982 with First Lady Nancy Reagan to commemorate the 250th birthday of George Washington.

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George H. W. Bush

41st President of the United States. Landed the presidential helicopter on the Bowling Green on Wednesday, April 19, 1989.

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George W. Bush

43rd President of the United States. Paid a visit with Mrs. Bush on the Presidents’ Day holiday in 2007; came back in November of the same year to meet with the new president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.

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Donald Trump

The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association welcomed President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, and Emmanuel Macron, the President of the French Republic, and his wife, Brigitte, for a private tour and dinner at George Washington’s Mount Vernon on Monday, April 23, 2018.

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President Joe Biden

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Mount Vernon on Sunday, January 30, 2022, to address the National Governors Association (NGA). They traveled to Mount Vernon by Marine One and landed on the 12-acre field overlooking the Mansion. The previous evening’s wintery mix provided a snowy ground cover, and George Washington’s iconic Mansion was illuminated for the occasion.

Presidents at Mount Vernon

Many Presidents of the United States have visited Mount Vernon before, during, and after their time in office. Explore some of the most notable visits from our Commanders in Chief.

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