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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.
Need help with homework? Our Digital Encyclopedia has all of the answers students and teachers need.
The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only.
In the 1750s, English potteries such as Chelsea, Derby and Bow began producing whimsical and allegorical figures for use in elaborate centerpieces then popular among the English and colonial elite. Placed in sugar-fabricated gardens and landscapes, lit by candles, and surrounded by glistening fruits…
As president, George Washington regularly held formal dinners at his executive residence. Such occasions were marked by carefully selected tablewares purchased by Congress. They included elegant ivory- and silver-handled cutlery and flatware. Although the presidential service was probably sold at a 1797…
"To each of my nephews, William Augustine Washington, George Lewis, George Steptoe Washington, Bushrod Washington, and Samuel Washington, I give one of the swords or cutteaux of which I may die possessed, and they are to choose in the order they are named. These swords are accompanied with an injunction…
George Washington's campaign furniture, like that of his English officer counterparts, not only provided him the comforts of home while in the field of war, but attested to his rank and distinction. In October 1775, shortly after assuming command of the Continental Army, he acquired "a Field Bedstead…
Every year at Mount Vernon in late spring, slaves and servants aired the house, washed bedsteads, and put covers - or cases, as they were known - on the upholstered furniture. Such cases would have protected the expensive upholstery from increased dust and exposure to sunlight in the summer months. This…
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 soup plate is part of an extensive dinner service which once belonged to Elizabeth…
Loyalist artist Henry Pelham created this map of Boston Harbor and its surrounds for the British during the summer of 1775. To attest its accuracy, Pelham cleverly included a rendering of the pass issued to him to visit the front lines in the upper left corner. His comprehensive survey vividly shows…
"Some time ago…I read in some gazette…announcing that a celebrated artist had presented, or was about to present to the President of the United States a sword of masterly workmanship, as an evidence of his veneration &c. &c. I thought no more of the matter afterwards, until a gentleman with whom I…
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 soup plate is part of an extensive dinner service which once belonged to Elizabeth…
In 1797, Philadelphia cabinetmaker John Aitken supplied two dozen elliptic-cornered, square-back side chairs to George Washington for use in his "New Room" at Mount Vernon. The design of this chair is remarkably similar to surviving Washington examples, suggesting that it may also be from Aitken's shop…
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 soup plate is part of an extensive dinner service which once belonged to Elizabeth…
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 soup plate is part of an extensive dinner service which once belonged to Elizabeth…
In 1797, Philadelphia cabinetmaker John Aitken supplied two dozen elliptic-cornered square back side chairs to George Washington for use in his "New Room" at Mount Vernon. The design of this chair is remarkably similar to surviving Washington examples, suggesting that it may also be from Aitken's shop…
After the Revolutionary War, George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and their families exchanged numerous gifts and tokens of affection, perpetuating the warm friendship forged by the General and his “adopted son,” as Lafayette styled himself. According to family tradition, Lafayette gave…
