Mount Vernon Blog

You Dig It? Hands-on History Lessons

Thursday, May 04, 2017

Each spring, thousands of students visit Mount Vernon to learn about history in unique and surprising ways. Last week, a group of high school seniors from Akron, Ohio, visited the estate to study archaeology. James Anderson, an alumnus of the George Washington Teachers Institute, has brought his archaeology class to the estate for the last five years…

The 600-Year-Old 'George Washington Oak Tree'

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Centuries before English settlers arrived in North America, a white oak tree took root in what is now the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church in Bernards, New Jersey. This tree would grow to have a trunk circumference of 18 feet and reach 100 feet tall. After years of showing rot, this landmark of natural history was declared dead, forcing crews to cut…

After the initial preservation activities in the Blue Room, a major part of the architecture work involved removing the existing 20th-century mantel in preparation for re-installing the 18th-century one. The first step involved prying off the applied decorative trim on the face of the mantel, and then removing the horizontal sandstone piece (called…

In February 2017, Mount Vernon staff began restoring the Blue Room, a bedroom on the second floor of the Mansion. After the Collections team removed the furniture and décor, the Historic Preservation team began the restoration work. Once the Blue Room was deinstalled at the end of February, the Historic Preservation & Collections team quickly mobilized…

Change Agents of Tomorrow

Thursday, April 06, 2017

Mount Vernon’s education programs encourage students to think critically about history and explore the relevance of these lessons to the present. Last month, we hosted 27 high school students and 8 teachers from regional high schools for the Ammerman Youth Leadership Program at the Washington Library, titled George Washington as Change Agent: Empowering…

The Washingtons' Blue Room: What's Behind the Door?

Monday, March 27, 2017

When you come to Mount Vernon these days, you may be surprised to see a closed door at the top of the stairs, on the second floor. If you’re like me, when I go to a historic house, I’m always curious about what I can’t see – what’s behind a closed door or beyond a roped-off stairway? So what’s going on behind the door at the head of the stairs? In…

Mount Vernon Welcomes Baby Lambs

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Each year as winter comes to an end, the estate welcomes some adorable new members to the Mount Vernon family: baby Hog Island sheep. On March 1, the first lamb of the season was born at Mount Vernon, and the number has since grown to eleven. When the black-and-white speckled lambs grow up, they will lose their spots and their wool turns completely…

2016: A Year in Review

Friday, December 30, 2016

2016 was a spectacular year for Mount Vernon! In addition to our daytime programming and annual events, here are some happenings that made this year memorable: 1. January Blizzard On Friday, January 22, a blizzard dumped 20 inches of snow on Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon’s Operations and Maintenance staff worked quickly to clear pedestrian and vehicle…

Cheers to George Washington This Holiday Season

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Do you have a person on your list who is impossible to shop for? The Shops at Mount Vernon have the solution: the George Washington Whiskey Gift Set and George Washington Special Reserve Madeira Wine.  The Whiskey Gift Set includes a 50 ml bottle of George Washington's Rye Whiskey and a commemorative shot glass. The whiskey is unaged, as was common…

Aladdin The Christmas Camel

Monday, December 12, 2016

When Aladdin hears the familiar hum of the engine and tires rolling across the gravel path, the 7 foot tall camel stands and hurries to the fence. Having stayed at Mount Vernon every holiday season since he was eleven months old, the camel knows the approaching vehicle is bringing him food. Lisa Pregent (above) is a member of the Mount Vernon livestock…