Visiting Mount Vernon, Research Paper Example

Mount Vernon Estate is located 16 miles south of Washington DC and was the plantation home of George Washington. The house which is 8 miles south of the town of Alexandria in Virginia rests upon the banks of the Potomac River. George and Martha Washington are buried here and there are regular wreath laying events. The house now plays host to the Donald W Reynolds museum where there are over 25 theatres and more than 500 original artefacts from the bygone era. The Mount Vernon home remained the residence of the President until his death in 1799. He expanded the plantation from 2,000 to 8,000 acres and the mansion from 6 bedrooms to that of 21. The plantation held slave quarters and the slave memorial burial grounds are located nearby. (Mount Vernon, 2011). Washington was an accomplished rider and the Estate has some fine stables.  The Generals favourite Charger ‘Nelson’, which he rode at Yorktown was retired at Mount Vernon.  (Lowther, 1922)

The Lafayette Room is where Washington entertained hundreds of guests, these normally stayed overnight and some of longer durations. The room is in the present configuration and colours that date back to the time of the revolutionary wars. The room was named after the Marquis de Lafayette a life-long friend of Washington. He added the Cupola to the Mansion in 1778 and this was not completed until after the revolutionary wars in 1787. It was designed to allow an airflow to the room that would keep it cool in the hot Virginia summers. A stunningly beautiful room with views of the surrounding estates.

The Central passage at the main entrance to the house is typical of 18^th Century architecture and is the central place for entertaining guests in the Mount Vernon home. Some Fifty acres of the Estate are now open to the General Public allowing some spectacular views of the Potomac River. There are 13 trees that were planted by Washington and stand as a living testimony to the great man. A lot of the working farm has been maintained but this is mainly for the purpose of entertaining children and visitors. One famous attraction is the George Washington distillery and Gristmill that is still functional and operated by mill workers in 18^th century costume. It demonstrates the advanced practices of agricultural farming and the distillery operates five copper stills. It was Lawrence, George’s half-brother, that built Mount Vernon and changed the name from Hunting Creek to that of Mount Vernon; he left the house to George when he died in 1752  (Lowther, 1922)

It is important to remember that Mount Vernon was a working estate and Washington in addition to being President was a successful farmer and businessperson.  This is evident throughout the Mount Vernon Estate and the many activities carried out there.  The Slaves were an integral part of the business of running the plantation.  The slave house shows an area where as many as 15-20 slaves shared a communal living complex. Other slaves worked at the Mansion House Farm and lived above the places where they worked i.e. Carpenters Shop, Blacksmiths, and Shoe Makers etc.  Each person received rations and blankets and would maintain a small plot where they could grow fruit and vegetables.  The work was 6 days with Sundays off.  On the day off, they were allowed to hunt, fish, visit friends or play sports.  In general terms they were well treated but had to work hard in order to maintain the working life of a busy plantation farm.

One of the biggest jobs the Slaves held was in the fishing of the Potomac for Herring and Shad. These were caught in great quantities and not only served the Estate but were sold as smoked and cured fish produce from the Estate. The Estate also had a salt house that was used for both smoking and curing of hams and fish. Many of the preserved fish were barrelled and sold to markets along the east coast and the West Indies and as such became an important part of the Estate business.

A great number of people were entertained by the Washington’s and this was a very busy Kitchen.  Slaves were employed for long hours working in the Kitchens.  There was also a large degree of butlers and servants who performed important jobs like hauling water, getting wood for the kitchen, washing dishes, and assisting with food preparation.  Mount Vernon was a largely self-sufficient establishment but a certain amount of goods were imported to the Plantation Estate and these were regulated through the storehouse. It included such items as beehives, gunpowder, candleholders, nails, rum, slaves clothing, tools etc.  A store clerk looked after this including all of the paint pigments for paintwork on the estate.  These items were all very expensive and kept under constant supervision and lock & key.

George Washington once compared his house and Estate to that of awell-resorted tavern. This making reference to the large number of visitors and people that George and Martha entertained throughout the year. This meant that the Slaves in the household had a huge workload and were kept very busy most of the time. The Mansion was made mainly of wood and it was painted to look like stone.  (Lowther, 1922).  The Laundry house was another area that was kept very busy 6 days per week. Most of the items were made of linen and were washed by hand in large tubs and then dried on clotheshorses before being ironed.

The top Garden contains a large selection of flowers, trees, and hedging that was planted in Washington’s day, together with some vegetable beds. A great deal of care has been taken on restorative work to reflect the depiction of the garden as it appeared in Washington’s time. The bottom garden provided all the fruit and vegetables for the kitchen and included fruit trees that were espaliered against the walls. A house that demonstrates the business acumen of Washington in that period.

Works Cited

Mount Vernon. (2011). Retrieved 6 14, 2011, from Mount Vernon: http://www.mountvernon.org/

Lowther, M. K. (1922). Mount Vernon, Arlington and Woodland. In C. H. Potter, Mount Vernon, Arlington and Woodland (pp. 22-32).