Mount Vernon Blog

Be Washington in The Battle of Second Trenton

Tuesday, January 02, 2018

By - Joseph Stoltz, Digital Historian The Be Washington interactive experience teaches players how George Washington made important decisions. As we designed the scenarios, we struggled representing the wide variety of advice he received. Players don’t just hear from people Washington knew; some of his “advisers” are people who wrote books he read…

Lessons in Leadership

Monday, December 18, 2017

by Chidinma Nnoromele The Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows Program (MVLF) is a six-week summer institute for rising college juniors offering unparalleled learning and networking opportunities at the home of America’s first president. The program brings together passionate and cause-driven college students to learn from and be inspired by the rich history…

Yes, Even George Washington Paid for Shipping and Handling

Monday, December 11, 2017

by Mary V. Thompson As the holiday gift-giving season approaches, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time in the evening shopping online for just the right present for various members of my family. The other day, it became obvious that I wasn’t the only one, when a colleague emailed to express frustration with having to pay shipping and handling fees…

Four Unique Gifts for History Buffs

Monday, December 04, 2017

The Shops at Mount Vernon has abundant gift possibilities for history lovers. Some items recreate a historical artifact, others have a unique history of their own.

Curator's Choice Gift Guide

Monday, November 27, 2017

Check out these gift ideas from The Shops at Mount Vernon handpicked by Mount Vernon's senior curator Susan Schoelwer.

Lives Bound Together: Telling George Smith’s Story

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

by Jessie MacLeod, Associate Curator The special exhibition Lives Bound Together: Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon opened to the public on October 1, 2016. But visitors might not realize that there is always something new to see: because paper is very light-sensitive, curatorial staff change the documents on display twice a year. In September…

Gift Guide for Kids

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Looking for a kid-friendly gift this holiday season? The Shops at Mount Vernon has a great selection, and we've picked out some of our favorites.

New Acquisition Highlights: Rare 19th-Century Photograph

Wednesday, November 08, 2017

by Mary V. Thompson Mount Vernon recently acquired a rare nineteenth-century carte-de-visite for our historic photograph collection. It shows an elderly African-American man sitting in the Washington, DC, studio of photographer Alexander Gardner. The subject is seated in a wooden sidechair, wearing a hat with a worn, round brim, knitted scarf, heavy…

Seasonal Changes in Mount Vernon's Mansion

Thursday, October 05, 2017

Walking through the Mansion feels like a snapshot into the daily life of the Washingtons. Mount Vernon's Collections team changes the setup in each room seasonally to recreate the way Mount Vernon's guests would have seen it in the 1790s. Earlier this month, the staff again changed the scenarios in the dining room, butler's pantry, kitchen, and slave…

Among the mid-century (18th century that is) style furnishings that will make their appearance in the Blue Room is a mahogany bureau dressing table, a Richmond-made reproduction of a Williamsburg-made original that once seamlessly translated British style to the colonies. The original dressing table for the Blue Room has not been identified, but…