Guide Dogs Visit Mount Vernon
Tuesday, October 23, 2018

As a dog-friendly site, Mount Vernon welcomes pups and their humans to explore the estate. In early October, the estate welcomed a special group of canines from the Guide Dog Foundation. These six labs/lab mixes and a poodle practiced good behavior in challenging situations to prepare them for their future placements as guide dogs. From left to right: Clark:…
At Mount Vernon, we have re-created the unique wheat treading process that George Washington used during his day. These demonstrations are offered July through October at the 16-Sided Barn. In preparation for these demonstrations, our historic tradesmen ventured to an Amish farm in rural Maryland to gather wheat similar to the grains of Washington's…
by Sean Devlin, Curator of Archaeological Collections Excavated from the South Grove, these five objects offer an interesting chance to explore eighteenth century life and how archaeologists attempt to learn more about it through material evidence. In this discussion, I want to walk you through how archaeologists approach interpreting artifacts. Step…
"On December 15, 1795, the Senate administered a stinging blow to one of the nation's most distinguished "founding fathers." By a vote of 10 to 14, it rejected President George Washington's nomination of South Carolina's John Rutledge to be Chief Justice of the United States." From the United States Senate Click to read the full article
For more than 20 years, Mount Vernon has hosted a wine festival to celebrate the rich tradition of Virginia wine. Since the first colonists arrived, viticulturists—or grape growers—struggled to grow wine grapes on Virginian soil. Even skilled agriculturalists George Washington and Thomas Jefferson tried and failed many times to grow wine grapes at their…
by Mary V. Thompson In the spring of 1787, as George Washington was preparing to leave Mount Vernon to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, an express rider arrived, carrying an emergency summons to Fredericksburg, Virginia. In telling a friend about his change of plans, Washington noted that “not a moment is to be lost,” because his…
by Kevin Butterfield, Executive Director of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington I am passionate about the story of the American Founding. I cannot imagine a fictional story with more drama and unpredictability, tragedy and triumph, complexity and openness to diverse interpretations, or with a more fascinating cast…
Throughout the summer, volunteer boat builders from the Alexandria Seaport Foundation have been constructing two punts at Mount Vernon’s Pioneer Farm. These small boats resemble a punt built by Sambo Anderson, an enslaved carpenter at Mount Vernon. As the team worked, they interacted with guests and taught them about the construction process, Anderson…
By Sean Brennan, American Government teacher, Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School in Broadview Heights, OH My involvement in the George Washington Teacher Institute Residential Program has had a dramatic impact on my teaching and my students’ achievement. Learning from top scholars at the home of the Father of our Country was truly inspiring…
Mount Vernon’s audio tours received a much-needed update, and the new version launches September 7. Here are the highlights of the new version: 1. New stops, no order Visitors previously selected an audio tour that guided them on a prescribed path to a limited number of stops. The new version includes 29 stops, and visitors can select which stops…