Mount Vernon Blog

Be Washington Wins Award of Outstanding Achievement

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Mount Vernon’s interactive theater, Be Washington: It’s Your Turn to Lead, has been awarded the Thea Award of Outstanding Achievement in the museum experience, limited budget category from the Themed Entertainment Association. This award acknowledges excellence for the creation of compelling educational, historical and entertainment projects and reinforces…

Mount Vernon in a New Lens

Wednesday, April 03, 2019

by Greg Werkheiser, CEO of ARtGlass

Huzzah! George Washington’s Distillery Wins Silver at American Craft Spirits Awards

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

George Washington’s Rye Whiskey®, the official state spirit of the Commonwealth of Virginia, received a silver medal at the 2019 American Craft Spirits Association Awards earlier this year—a top award among white (unaged) whiskies nationwide. The unaged rye whiskey was made from Washington's original recipe using 18th-century methods and equipment…

George Washington's Front Parlor Opening

Monday, February 18, 2019

George and Martha Washington's front parlor is now opened to the public after a multi-year restoration. Visitors can see the newly restored and refurnished room on their Mansion tour. The entertainment space features a new paint color and striking upholstery dyed "Saxon blue". While none of the original pieces survives, the curatorial team worked to…

Hair as Historic Artifact

Friday, February 15, 2019

In Mount Vernon’s collection, more than 50 examples of George Washington’s hair are preserved inside frames, paper, and jewelry. Some pieces of jewelry containing Washington’s hair were made before or immediately after his death, most were made in later periods. Public displays of hair from friends or loved ones peaked in the 19th century, but had long…

by Zerah Jakub, Manager of Education Communication and Outreach One of the focuses of the Mount Vernon Education Department is finding ways to bring George Washington into classrooms around the country. We do this by providing teachers with professional development training opportunities, with classroom resources, and through our digital presence.…

Front Parlor Form and Function: Architectural Clues

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Photo Credit: Gavin Ashworth by Caroline Spurry, Architectural Historian The architecture of a room, particularly its form and finishes, can provide a great deal of information about the function of the space within a building. Form and function in gentry houses experienced a marked evolution in the 18th century. The evolution of Mount Vernon’s Mansion…

Keeping Warm in the 18th-Century Winter

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

The passing of Twelfth Night will the end of another Christmas for the Washingtons and signal collections staff to ready the Mansion for the long, cold, and quieter winter months ahead. The Washingtons’ guests have packed their bags and headed home. Today's visitors in the Mansion can learn how the Washingtons kept warm during the 18th century. Washington…

Recent and Upcoming Archaeological Projects at Mount Vernon

Wednesday, January 09, 2019

by Sean Devlin As archaeologists we use diverse bits of evidence to learn more about how people have shaped the landscape of Mount Vernon over time, and in turn how the landscape has shaped the interactions of people with each other throughout the past. This evidence is incredibly diverse in form and age. Everything from a building foundation to a…