“I recollect, sometime in the course of last year to have begged you to purchase for me from the redemptioners or Indented (Germans or Irish) a House joiner and Bricklayer.” — George Washington, 1784
Activities
Preservation Tour
10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., & 3 p.m.
This 60-minute specialty tour highlights the history of preservation at Mount Vernon from the formation of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association in the 19th century to our ongoing Mansion Revitalization project today.
Against the Grain
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
12-Acre Field
Home improvement stores did not exist in the 18th century. Instead, you might visit a joiner for a new door, shutters, or built-in cupboards. Watch as a joiner from Colonial Williamsburg uses saws, planes, hammers, and other tools to shape the pieces of a future building.
It's a Brick...Yard
9 a.m.- 12 p.m. & 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.
12-Acre field
Brickmaking in the 18th century was done by hand throughout the summer and fall. Learn about the process of making bricks from an expert brickmaker from Colonial Williamsburg. Be sure to ask about "bats."
Molding the Past
9:30 a.m.- 11:45 a.m. & 1 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.
12-Acre field
Try your hand at building with bricks in a hands-on activity with our Youth Programs team while learning about two enslaved men, William Lee and Hercules, who worked as brickmakers at Mount Vernon.
