Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC.
From the mansion to lush gardens and grounds, intriguing museum galleries, immersive programs, and the distillery and gristmill. Spend the day with us!
Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen".
The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858.
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The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only.
George Washington wrote this manuscript just after his final defeat of the British at Yorktown. The manuscript includes two letters from Washington to Timothy Pickering dated October 30, 1781, and November 5, 1781. The letters are both in the hand of aide-de-camp Jonathan Trumbull Jr. and signed by…
In the spring of 1785, English painter Robert Edge Pine visited Mount Vernon and painted Martha Washington's four grandchildren as well as her niece. The portraits of the grandchildren were hung in the Washington's bedroom, and were among the "6 Paintings of Mrs. W-ns family [$10 each $60 total] noted…
The early histories of this square-back chair and a virtually identical example in Mount Vernon's collection are unknown, but their similarity to documented Virginia-made chairs suggests they also could have been made in the Chesapeake. Beading along all their straight surfaces - including the crest…
In the 1790s, a taste for large, luminescent disks made of exotic materials such as shell or stone superseded the earlier fashion for modest-sized buttons of metal or fabric. Such buttons were employed on fashionable outerwear for women, including great coats and riding habits, as well as men's coats…
In the 1790s, a taste for large, luminescent disks made of exotic materials such as shell or stone superseded the earlier fashion for modest-sized buttons of metal or fabric. Such buttons were employed on fashionable outerwear for women, including great coats and riding habits, as well as men's coats…
George Washington's purchases while he was attending the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia anticipated his return to military duty. This razor case may be the "Travelling razor case ?2" he bought in May 1775. Painted with mahogany graining, the box is outfitted with a mirror, a removable…
Garnets were in vogue when Martha Washington received this necklace from England in January 1759. The semi-precious stones, ranging in color from deep pinks to purplish-reds, were probably mined in Bohemia, while the necklace's style and mounting suggest a Parisian maker. It ultimately retailed in goldsmith…
This plate-warmer is one of a pair that George Washington purchased from the New York merchants Berry & Rogers in 1790. As its name implies, it was used to heat plates prior to a meal, thus enabling diners to enjoy their food without it quickly going cold. When its open back was placed in front of a fire…
In the 1790s, a taste for large, luminescent disks made of exotic materials such as shell or stone superseded the earlier fashion for modest-sized buttons of metal or fabric. Such buttons were employed on fashionable outerwear for women, including great coats and riding habits, as well as men's coats…
In the 1790s, a taste for large, luminescent disks made of exotic materials such as shell or stone superseded the earlier fashion for modest-sized buttons of metal or fabric. Such buttons were employed on fashionable outerwear for women, including great coats and riding habits, as well as men's coats…
Chinese hand-painted blue and white porcelain in standard patterns, such as landscape and river scenes, offered Westerners a romanticized glimpse of the exotic East and were prized for their durability and artistry. This plate is part of an extensive dinner service which once belonged to Elizabeth Willing…
Chinese hand-painted blue and white porcelain in standard patterns, such as landscape and river scenes, offered Westerners a romanticized glimpse of the exotic East and were prized for their durability and artistry. This custard cup and lid is part of an extensive dinner service which once belonged to…
American demand for exotic Chinese imports increased with the onset of direct trading between China and the United States in 1784. The Washingtons’ purchases of Chinese lacquer ware may have included this portable writing desk, a luxurious but functional item that made it possible to write a letter…
"The obligations you are continually laying me under, are so great that I am quite overwhelmed and perfectly ashamed of myself for receiving them…the Jarrs came very safe…[they are] fine and exceedingly handsome, they shall occupy the place you have named for them." - George Washington to Samuel…
