A Timeless Treasure

It rests where it did during the last years of the Washingtons’ lives, when it regulated the daily routines of Mount Vernon’s residents, both free and enslaved. Manufactured in France and first retailed in Paris, the clock is a complex interplay of white marble, ebonized wood, and gilt bronze in the Louis XVI style. It would have been among the most luxurious available in the United States. While Washington’s purchase of this piece is not recorded, it was likely acquired in either New York or Philadelphia, and it is consistent with the French-style furnishings Washington purchased for the executive residence.

On George Washington’s probate inventory, the clock was assessed at $100, making it one of the most valuable objects in the house—worth more than either of the fine mahogany sideboards in the New Room. Clocks were a luxury in the 18th century, and at the end of their lives, the Washingtons owned only this example. Typically, clocks were displayed in public spaces such as parlors, passages, and dining rooms, where they were visible to many people, but the Washingtons diverged from this practice. Instead, they placed it in the Washington Bedchamber, testifying to the importance of Martha Washington’s role in managing the household.

From this space, Mrs. Washington oversaw the domestic affairs of the plantation—from the prompt preparation of meals to the manufacture of clothes for the enslaved workforce. All of this labor required careful time management, and that time was regulated by the ticking of this clock.