Mount Vernon Blog

More than Reconstruction

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

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…

A Teacher’s Perspective: George Washington and the Principles of the Constitution

Monday, September 10, 2018

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…

5 Major Updates to Our Audio Tours

Friday, September 07, 2018

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…

Running and Fifing

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

On the grounds of Mount Vernon, the whistle of a fife signals Don Francisco is near. As Mount Vernon's Resident Fifer and a history interpreter, Don educates visitors about the role of fife and drum music in the American Revolution, as well as entertaining guests with musical renditions of pop tunes and fight songs. Once a year, he changes his pace…

Have you heard about our podcast?

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Scholars, authors, speakers, professors, and other top academics conduct research at the Washington Library on a daily basis. Two years ago, then-director of the Library Doug Bradburn started Conversations at the Washington Library to engage these visiting researchers and fellows, sharing their work with a wider audience. In recent episodes, the podcast…

Did the Washingtons Brunch?

Monday, August 13, 2018

Brunch—the linguistic and culinary combination of breakfast and lunch—was popularized in the United States during the 1930s. While the Washingtons didn't enjoy the brunch we know and love today, they frequently enjoyed brunch staples for breakfast and served them to Mount Vernon's ample visitors.  

18th-Century White Oak Tree Felled by Rains

Thursday, August 09, 2018

On Tuesday, July 24, Mount Vernon lost a piece of living history—a white oak tree dating to Washington’s time. Located away from public access, the historic tree that lived through the Civil War fell due to the overly saturated ground. The oak’s trunk had a circumference of almost 12 feet (46 inches in diameter). Between 2004 and 2005, dendrochronologist…

Commemorating Purple Heart Day at Mount Vernon

Tuesday, August 07, 2018

Did you know George Washington created the first United States military award? In his General Orders on August 7, 1782, Washington created three military badges to honor the service of ordinary, common soldiers. One of these awards was the Badge of Military Merit, the precursor to the Purple Heart. Dr. Gordon Sumner, Ph.D., is the Commander of the…

Operation: George Washington

Friday, August 03, 2018

This summer, celebrate America's first spymaster, George Washington, with a special discount to the International Spy Museum and George Washington's Mount Vernon. From August 1 through September 3, 2018, guests receive 50% off general admission to the International Spy Museum when they visit George Washington's Mount Vernon! Washington Letter at the…

George Washington: Bee Keeper

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

George Washington ate hoecakes with honey almost every day for breakfast, but where did he get the honey? The only mention of Washington's bees comes from an entry on July 28, 1787, which states three hundred nails were given out at the Circle Storehouse to an indentured English joiner named Matthew Baldridge, “to make a bee house.” Washington is also…