Keeping "An Excellent Table" at Mount Vernon

Welcoming a Wealth of Unexpected Guests

In the years following the Revolution, George Washington's popularity brought a steady flow of visitors to Mount Vernon and his description of his home as a "well resorted tavern" carried more truth than exaggeration. Strange faces appeared routinely at the dinner table, and dining alone was a privilege enjoyed by the Washingtons only twice in the last twenty years of their marriage.

Born into a tradition of liberal hospitality, the Washingtons, like their Virginia neighbors, were accustomed to unexpected guests and dispensing a "bit of beef and toddy'' to those who appeared at their door was part of plantation life. Those who stayed for long periods were treated like members of the household and their clothes, linens, horses, and enslaved workers were all cared for by the Mount Vernon's enslaved community. Entertaining imposed heavy financial burdens and George Washington complained in 1787 of exceedingly high expenses brought on "not from any extravagance, or an inclination on my part to live splendidly, but for the absolute support of my family and the visitors who are constantly here".

Welcome as they were, the Washingtons' guests were expected to accommodate themselves to the family's domestic routine, and those who expected constant attention or excessive entertainments were disappointed. George Washington felt that his manner of living was "plain" but in fact, he enjoyed a reputation among his contemporaries for keeping "an excellent table" and it was the opinion of one guest that his "entertainments were always conducted with the most regularity and in the genteelest manner ... "

The Washingtons' Strict Dining Schedule

Household routines were firmly established with little variation from day to day. The hours for dining were set according to local custom and rigidly observed by the Washingtons. Attendance at the table was not required, but those who elected to join the general company were expected to appear within fifteen minutes of the dinner bell (although George Washington reportedly allowed a five-minute grace period).

Morning General Washington’s general breakfast hour was at seven in the morning. His schedule was a little different on winter mornings, when he went foxhunting.

Afternoon Dinner was at three, except on Sundays, when it was served at two. Tea, which was a light meal, was offered between six and seven o’clock.

Evening Supper, if offered, would have appeared about nine o'clock, but as this was Washington's usual hour for retiring, it was not part of the daily schedule. Supper is rarely mentioned in surviving accounts of visitors' experiences at Mount Vernon.

Where Were Meals Served?

Meals might be served by enslaved butlers in any one of several mansion rooms depending on the size of the company and the season of the year. Guests could be served in their chambers, but most preferred to socialize with the family and other guests. Breakfast and dinner were regularly served in the dining room. A small one, situated off the first-floor passage, accommodated no more than a dozen people comfortably.

Before the completion of the New Room, which could be used for large gatherings, overflow guests could be seated in the passage outside the small dining room which was set up with tables made from boards placed across saw horses and covered with tablecloths. This convenient arrangement was used later in the New Room. Since the New Room was used for other social gatherings, portable tables that could be enlarged or reduced in size were highly practical.

Guests who arrived between the regularly appointed hours for dining might be served in one of the parlors. One late arrival in 1798 was served breakfast in a small parlor overlooking the river.

Tables were often moved by enslaved workers into the central passage for light refreshment or in good weather onto the piazza where Mrs. Washington presided at tea. This was the ideal setting in late afternoon when the sun had moved to the west and light southern breezes cooled the porch. In winter, tea and coffee were brought to the parlors, which were warmed by open fires.