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67-628: Augustine Washington Sr. (1694 – April 12, 1743) was an American planter and merchant. Born in Westmoreland, Virginia , he was the father of ten children, among them the first president of the United States , George Washington , soldier and politician Lawrence Washington , and politician Charles Washington . Born into the planter class of the British colony of Virginia , Washington owned several slave plantations , from which he derived
134-753: A Founding Father , commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War , and the first president of the United States , and his wife, Martha . An American landmark, the estate lies on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia , approximately 15 miles south of Washington, D.C. . The Washington family acquired land in the area in 1674. Around 1734, the family embarked on an expansion of its estate that continued under George Washington, who began leasing
201-433: A Governor of Virginia and the father of Robert E. Lee , which were planted in 1786 by George Washington and now crowd the entry path. A carriage road skirts a grassy bowling green to approach the mansion entrance. To each side of the green is a garden contained by red brick walls. These Colonial Revival gardens grew the household's vegetables, fruit and other perishable items for consumption. The upper garden, located to
268-446: A hipped roof with dormers and the secondary wings have gable roofs with dormers. In addition to its second story, the importance of the corps de logis is further emphasized by two large chimneys piercing the roof and by a cupola surmounting the center of the house; this octagonal focal point has a short spire topped by a gilded dove of peace . This placement of the cupola is more in the earlier Carolean style than Palladian and
335-530: A life estate in Mount Vernon, the remainder interest falling to his half-brother George; George Washington was already living at Mount Vernon and probably managing the plantation. Lawrence's widow, Anne Fairfax, remarried into the Lee family and moved out. Following the death of Anne and Lawrence's only surviving child in 1754, George, as executor of his brother's estate leased his sister-in-law's estate. Upon
402-462: A deed of manumission in December 1800. Abstracts of court records in Fairfax County, Virginia record this transaction. The slaves received their freedom on January 1, 1801. On December 12, 1799, Washington spent several hours riding over the plantation, in snow, sleet, and freezing rain. He ate his supper later that evening without changing from his wet clothes. The following day, he awoke with
469-401: A great deal of beef. The new crops were less labor-intensive than tobacco; hence, the estate had a surplus of slaves. But Washington refused to break up families for sale. Washington began to hire skilled indentured servants from Europe to train the redundant slaves for service on and off the estate. Following his service in the war, Washington returned to Mount Vernon and in 1785–1786 spent
536-405: A great deal of effort improving the landscaping of the estate. It is estimated that during his two terms as President of the United States (1789–1797), Washington spent a total of 434 days in residence at Mount Vernon. After his presidency, Washington tended to repairs to the buildings, socializing, and further gardening. In 1797, farm manager James Anderson, a recent Scottish immigrant, suggested
603-414: A little mortifying then to find, that we, who raise none but Sweetscented Tobacco, and endeavour I may venture to add, to be careful in the management of it, however we fail in the execution, and who by a close and fixed corrispondance with you, contribute so largely to the dispatch of your Ships in this Country shoud [ sic ] meet with such unprofitable returns? In the same letter he asks about
670-616: A local contractor to build a house, which was probably completed about 1726 despite the contractor's death (later called Wakefield ). In the same year, Washington purchased the Little Hunting Creek property from his sister Mildred. In 1725, Augustine Washington entered into an agreement with the Principio Company of England to start an iron works on Accokeek Creek in Stafford County, and he also owned
737-756: A militia captain and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses . His paternal grandparents were Lt. Col. John Washington (c. 1631–1677) and his first wife, Anne Pope. His maternal grandparents owned Warner Hall and associated plantations in Gloucester County . Augustine was four years old when his father died. His mother remarried and moved her family to England, where she died when all were still children; although their mother's will named their stepfather George Gale as their guardian, their cousin John Washington fought to have himself named
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#1732779717730804-428: A room to which in the 18th century only a privileged few were granted entry. This simply furnished room has a combined bathroom, dressing room and office; the room was so private that few contemporary descriptions exist. Its walls are lined with naturally grained paneling and matching bookcases. In contrast to the privacy of the study, since Washington's time, the grandest, most public and principal reception room has been
871-489: A severance of the Union occur and behold the remains of Washington on a shore foreign to his native soil. In 1831, the bodies of George and Martha Washington, along with other members of the family, were moved from the old crypt to the new family tomb. On October 7, 1837, Washington's remains, encased in a lead inner casket, were transferred from the closed tomb to a sarcophagus presented by John Struthers of Philadelphia . It
938-414: A severe sore throat (either quinsy or acute epiglottitis ) and became increasingly hoarse as the day progressed. All the available medical treatments failed to improve his condition, and he died at Mount Vernon at around 10 pm on December 14, 1799, aged 67. On December 18, a funeral was held at Mount Vernon, where his body was interred. Congress passed a joint resolution to construct a marble monument in
1005-632: A stake in their Maryland ironworks. In 1735, the family moved to the Little Hunting Creek property, which was closer to the Accokeek Furnace . In 1738, Augustine Washington purchased the 150-acre Strother property across the Rappahannock River (now known as Ferry Farm ) and moved the family there at the end of that same year. Augustine Washington was active in the Anglican Church , the local militia, and politics. He took
1072-552: A two-roomed house with a further two rooms in a half-story above are still partially visible in the present house's cellar. Augustine Washington recalled his eldest son, Lawrence , George's half-brother, home from school in England in 1738, and set him up on the family's Little Hunting Creek tobacco plantation, thereby allowing Augustine to move his family back to Fredericksburg at the end of 1739. In 1739, Lawrence, having reached 21 years of age, began buying up parcels of land from
1139-558: A useful trade, until they were ultimately freed at the age of twenty-five. When Martha Washington's first husband, Daniel Parke Custis , died without a will, she received a life interest in one-third of his estate, including the slaves. Neither George nor Martha Washington could free these slaves by law. Upon Martha's death, these slaves reverted to the Custis estate and were divided among her grandchildren. By 1799, 153 slaves at Mount Vernon were part of this dower property. Martha signed
1206-750: The Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Mount Vernon was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . It is still owned and maintained in trust by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, being open to the public daily in recognition of George Washington's 1794 acknowledgement of public interest in his estate: "I have no objection to any sober or orderly person's gratifying their curiosity in viewing
1273-548: The United States Capitol for his body, an initiative supported by Martha. In December 1800, the United States House passed an appropriations bill for $ 200,000 (~$ 4.55 million in 2023) to build the mausoleum, which was to be a pyramid with a base 100 feet (30 m) square. Southerners who wanted his body to remain at Mount Vernon defeated the measure. In accordance with his will, Washington
1340-474: The 18th-century revival of classical architecture. Instead they range from Palladianism to a finer and later neoclassicism in the style of Robert Adam . This varying of the classical style is best exemplified in the doorcases and surrounds of the principal rooms. In the West Parlour and Small Dining rooms there are doorcases complete with ionic columns and full pediments, whereas in the hall and passageways
1407-537: The Little Hunting Creek property would go to Augustine Jr., and Augustine Jr, in turn, would have to give up the Popes Creek property to his brother George. If Augustine Jr. did not want the Little Hunting Creek property, George would then inherit it. Upon Lawrence's death, Augustine Jr. chose Popes Creek and its slaves over the former Little Hunting Creek property. Lawrence's only surviving child, Sarah, lived until 1754; therefore, George Washington ultimately inherited
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#17327797177301474-449: The Little Hunting Creek property, which was known as Mount Vernon by that time. At his death, Augustine Washington Sr. enslaved a total of 64 people who were assigned among the various plantations. Lawrence Washington's widow, Ann, had a life interest in the Little Hunting Creek plantation. Because she remarried and was not living at Mount Vernon, she leased the property to George in 1754. Upon her death in 1761, George Washington inherited
1541-509: The Spanish. When George Washington inherited the property, he retained the name. The estate contained 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) when George Washington lived there. As of 2011, the property consists of 500 acres (200 ha), including the mansion and over 30 other buildings near the riverfront. Construction on the present mansion at Mount Vernon began in approximately 1734 and was built in incremental stages by an unknown architect under
1608-488: The Supreme Court of the United States . The younger Washington and his wife then moved to Mount Vernon. Bushrod Washington did not inherit much cash and was unable to support the upkeep of the estate's mansion on the proceeds from the property and his Supreme Court salary. He sold some of his own slaves to gain working capital. However, the farms' low revenues left him short, and he was unable to adequately maintain
1675-623: The acreage was largely executed by Spencer, who acted as agent for his cousin Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper , the English landowner who controlled the Northern Neck of Virginia, in which the tract lay. When John Washington died in 1677, his son Lawrence , George Washington's grandfather, inherited his father's stake in the property. In 1690, he agreed to formally divide the estimated 5,000 acre (20 km ) estate with
1742-646: The adjoining Spencer tract, starting with a plot around the grist mill on Dogue Creek. In mid-1740, Lawrence received a coveted officer's commission in the British Army and made preparations to go off to war in the Caribbean with the newly formed American Regiment to fight in the War of Jenkins' Ear. He served under Admiral Edward Vernon ; returning home, he named his estate after his commander. Lawrence died in 1752, and his will stipulated that his widow should own
1809-477: The buildings, Gardens, &ca. about Mount Vernon." When George Washington 's ancestors acquired the estate, it was known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation, named after the nearby Little Hunting Creek . When Washington's older half-brother, Lawrence Washington , inherited it, he renamed it after Edward Vernon , a vice admiral and his commanding officer during the War of Jenkins' Ear who captured Portobelo from
1876-593: The children's guardian and brought them back to Virginia. When Washington came of age (and into his inheritance) in 1715, he married Jane Butler, another orphan, who had inherited about 640 acres (2.6 km) from her father, Caleb Butler. The young couple settled on the Bridges Creek property and had four children, only two of whom (Lawrence and Augustine Jr.) lived to adulthood. After Jane's death in November 1728 or 1729, Washington married Mary Ball in 1731, and
1943-650: The couple had five children who survived to adulthood – George, Betty, Samuel, Charles, and John Augustine – and a daughter named Mildred who died in infancy. When he reached legal age in 1715, Augustine Washington inherited about 1,000 acres (4.0 km) on Bridges Creek in Westmoreland County ; his sister Mildred inherited what was called the Little Hunting Creek property; they both inherited enslaved people. In 1718, Washington purchased land on Pope's Creek, adjoining his property on Bridges Creek, and set about establishing himself. Between 1723 and 1735, he hired
2010-455: The crop with wheat, corn, and other grains. Besides hemp and flax, he experimented with 60 other crops including cotton and silk. He also derived income from a gristmill which produced cornmeal and flour for export and also ground neighbors' grain for fees. Washington similarly sold the services of the estate's looms and blacksmith. Washington built and operated a small fishing fleet , permitting Mount Vernon to export fish. Washington practiced
2077-410: The death of Anne Fairfax in 1761, he succeeded to the remainder interest and became sole owner of the property. In 1758, Washington began the first of two major additions and improvements by raising the house to two-and-a-half stories. The second expansion was begun during the 1770s, shortly before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War . Washington had rooms added to the north and south ends, unifying
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2144-447: The doors are given broken pediments supported by an architrave . Many of the rooms are lined with painted panelling and have ceilings ornamented by plasterwork in a Neoclassical style ; much of this plasterwork can be attributed to an English craftsman, John Rawlins, who arrived from London in 1771 bringing with him the interior design motifs then fashionable in the British capital. Visitors to Mount Vernon now see Washington's study,
2211-433: The establishment of a whisky distillery, which proved to be the estate's most profitable business venture over the decade of its operation. In his will, written several months before his death in December 1799, George Washington left directions for the emancipation of all the slaves who belonged to him. Of the 317 slaves at Mount Vernon in 1799, a little less than half, 123 individuals, belonged to George Washington. Under
2278-436: The estate in 1754 before becoming its sole owner in 1761. The mansion was built of wood in a loose Palladian style ; the original house was built in about 1734 by George Washington's father Augustine Washington . George Washington expanded the house twice, once in the late 1750s and again in the 1770s. It remained Washington's home for the rest of his life. Following his death in 1799, the estate progressively declined under
2345-598: The estate into the 1780s, including the River Farm estate. From 1759 until the Revolutionary War, Washington, who at the time aspired to become a prominent agriculturist, had five separate farms as part of his estate. He took a scientific approach to farming and kept extensive and meticulous records of both labor and results. In a letter dated 20 September 1765, Washington writes about receiving poor returns for his tobacco production: Can it be otherwise than
2412-484: The first Falls Church. Blackburn's granddaughter Anne married Bushrod Washington , George's nephew, and is interred at the Washingtons' tomb on the grounds. Most architectural historians believe that the design of Mount Vernon is solely attributable to Washington alone and that the involvement of any other architects is based on conjecture. The rooms at Mount Vernon have mostly been restored to their appearance at
2479-472: The heirs of Nicholas Spencer, who had died the previous year. The Spencers took the larger southern half bordering Dogue Creek in the September 1674 land grant from Lord Culpeper, leaving the Washingtons the portion along Little Hunting Creek. The Spencer heirs paid Lawrence Washington 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) of tobacco as compensation for their choice. Lawrence Washington died in 1698, bequeathing
2546-441: The library, which is open for scholarship by appointment only, fosters new scholarship about George Washington and safeguards original Washington books and manuscripts. In 1674, John Washington , the great-grandfather of George Washington , and Nicholas Spencer came into possession of the land from which Mount Vernon plantation would be carved, originally known by its Piscataway name of Epsewasson . The successful patent on
2613-642: The mansion and its surroundings. Washington suggested to the United States Congress that the federal government purchase the mansion. However, Congress paid little interest to Washington's offer, as the legislature was focusing on the conditions that shortly led to the American Civil War . Washington then traveled to Richmond, where he was equally unsuccessful in appealing to the Virginia General Assembly for
2680-471: The mansion. Following Bushrod Washington's death in 1829, ownership of the plantation passed to George Washington's grandnephew, John Augustine Washington II. After he died in 1832, his wife, Jane Charlotte inherited the estate, and her son began managing it. Upon her death in 1855, John Augustine Washington III inherited the property. As his funds dwindled and the wear and tear of hundreds of visitors began to take its toll, Washington could do little to maintain
2747-402: The north and south ends of the house; these were torn down during the next building phase. The present day mansion is 11,028 sq ft (1,025 m ). In 1774, the second expansion began. A two-story wing was added to the south side. Two years later a large two-story room was added to the north side. Two single-story secondary wings were built in 1775. These secondary wings, which house
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2814-477: The north, is bordered by the greenhouse. Ha-ha walls are used to separate the working farm from the pleasure grounds that Washington created for his family and guests. The overseer's quarter, spinning room, salt house, and gardener's house are between the upper garden and the mansion. The lower garden, or southern garden, is bordered on the east by the storehouse and clerk's quarters, smokehouse, wash house, laundry yard, and coach house. A paddock and stable are on
2881-657: The oath as justice of the peace for the Westmoreland county court in July 1716, and served as county sheriff . Washington apparently died from "a chill" after being outside during an unexpected downpour of rain while riding his horse. He died soon after on April 12, 1743. After he died in 1743 at the age of 48, his 11-year-old son George inherited the former Strother property and its slaves. Because he had not reached legal age, his widowed mother Mary Ball Washington managed this property for him until he came of age. She lived on
2948-541: The ownership of several successive generations of the family as revenues were insufficient to maintain it adequately. In 1858, the house's historical importance was recognized and was taken over by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association , along with part of the Washington property estate. The mansion and its surrounding buildings escaped damage from the American Civil War , which damaged many properties in
3015-540: The plantation outright. Westmoreland, Virginia Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.150 via cp1114 cp1114, Varnish XID 920625742 Upstream caches: cp1114 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:41:57 GMT Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington ,
3082-421: The prices of flax and hemp , with a view to their production: In order thereto you woud do me a singular favour in advising of the general price one might expect for good Hemp in your Port watered and prepared according to Act of Parliament, with an estimate of the freight, and all other Incident charges pr. Tonn that I may form some Idea of the profits resulting from the growth. I should be very glad to know at
3149-463: The primary source of his wealth. He also speculated in land development and owned an iron mine . Although Washington never sat in the House of Burgesses , as did his own father and son, he served in various government positions in the counties where he owned land. Augustine Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia , in 1694, to Mildred Warner and her husband, Capt. Lawrence Washington ,
3216-499: The property to his daughter Mildred. On 16 April 1726, she agreed to a one-year lease on the estate to her brother Augustine Washington , George Washington's father, for a peppercorn rent; a month later the lease was superseded by Augustine's purchase of the property for £180. He built the original house on the site around 1734, when he and his family moved from Pope's Creek to Eppsewasson, which he renamed Little Hunting Creek. The original stone foundations of what appears to have been
3283-605: The property until 1772 when she was 64 when George moved her to a house in Fredericksburg. Lawrence Washington inherited the Little Hunting Creek property and renamed it " Mount Vernon " to honor Admiral Edward Vernon , with whom he had served in the Royal Navy in 1741 during the Battle of Cartagena de Indias during the War of Jenkins' Ear . According to Augustine Sr's will, if his son Lawrence died without children,
3350-549: The public during that year. The estate served as a neutral ground for both sides during the Civil War, although fighting raged across the nearby countryside. Troops from both the Union and the Confederacy toured the building. The two women caretakers asked that the soldiers leave their arms behind and either change to civilian clothes or at least cover their uniforms. They usually did as asked. Harrison Howell Dodge became
3417-629: The removal of Washington's body from Mount Vernon to a crypt in the Capitol , built by Charles Bulfinch in the 1820s. Southern opposition was intense, exacerbated by an ever-growing rift between North and South. Congressman Wiley Thompson of Georgia expressed the Southerners' fears when he said: Remove the remains of our venerated Washington from their association with the remains of his consort and his ancestors from Mount Vernon and from his native State, deposit them in this capitol, and then let
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#17327797177303484-519: The river; the 4-acre (16,000 m ) working farm includes a re-creation of Washington's 16-sided treading barn. A museum and education center are on the grounds and exhibit examples of Washington's survey equipment, weapons, and clothing, and the dentures worn by Washington as the first U.S. president . In 2013, the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington opened on Mount Vernon;
3551-850: The sametime how rough and undressd Flax has generally, and may probably sell; for this year I have made an Essay in both, and altho I suffer pretty considerably by the attempt, owing principally to the severity of the Drougth ;[ sic ], and my inexperience in the management I am not altogether discouraged from a further prosecution of the Scheme provided I find the Sales with you are not clogd with too much difficulty and expence. The tobacco market declined, and many planters in Northern Virginia converted to mixed crops. By 1766, Washington ceased growing tobacco at Mount Vernon and replaced
3618-468: The selective breeding of sheep in an effort to produce better quality wool. He was not as invested in animal husbandry as he was in cropping experiments, which were elaborate and included complex field rotations, nitrogen fixing crops and a range of soil amendments. The Washington household consumed a wider range of protein sources than was typical for the Chesapeake population of his day, which consumed
3685-416: The servants hall on the northern side and the kitchen on the southern side, are connected to the corps de logis by symmetrical, quadrant colonnades , built in 1778. The completion of the colonnades cemented the classical Palladian arrangement of the complex and formed a distinct cour d'honneur , known at Mount Vernon as Mansion Circle, giving the house its imposing perspective. The corps de logis has
3752-411: The so-called New Room or Large Dining Room – a two-storied salon notable for its large Palladian window, occupying the whole of the mansion's northern elevation, and its fine Neoclassical marble chimneypiece . The history of this chimneypiece to some degree explains the overall restrained style of the house. When it was donated to Washington by English merchant Samuel Vaughan , Washington
3819-423: The southern border of the garden; east of them, a little down the hillside, is the icehouse. The original tomb is located along the river. The newer tomb in which the bodies of George and Martha Washington have rested since 1831 is south of the fruit garden; the slave burial ground is nearby, a little farther down the hillside. A "Forest Trail" runs through woods down to a recreated pioneer farm site on low ground near
3886-490: The state to purchase the mansion. The mansion's decline continued. In 1858, Washington sold the mansion and a portion of the estate's land to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, which was under the leadership of Ann Pamela Cunningham . The association paid the final installment of the purchase price of $ 200,000 ($ 6.3 million in 2020 dollars) in December 1859, taking possession in February 1860. The estate first opened to
3953-406: The supervision of Augustine Washington. This staggered and unplanned evolution is indicated by the off-center main door. As completed and seen today, the house is in a loose Palladian style. The principal block, dating from about 1734, was a one-story house with a garret . In the 1750s, the roof was raised to a full second story and a third floor garret. There were also one-story extensions added to
4020-488: The terms of his will, these slaves were to be set free upon Martha Washington's death. In accordance with state law, George Washington stipulated in his will that elderly slaves or those who were too sick to work were to be supported throughout their lives by his estate. Children without parents, or those whose families were too poor or indifferent to see to their education, were to be bound out (or apprenticed) to masters and mistresses who would teach them reading, writing, and
4087-459: The third resident superintendent in 1885. During his 52 years' overseeing the estate, he doubled the facility's acreage, improved the grounds, and added many historic artifacts to the collections. Dodge reviewed George Washington's writings about the estate, visited other Colonial-era gardens, and traveled to England to see gardens dating from the Georgian period. Using that knowledge, Dodge oversaw
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#17327797177304154-629: The time of George and Martha Washington 's occupancy. Rooms include Washington's study, two dining rooms, the larger of which is known as the New Room, the West Parlour, the Front Parlour, the kitchen and some bedrooms. The interior design follows the classical concept of the exterior, but owing to the mansion's piecemeal evolution, the internal architectural features – the doorcases , mouldings and plasterwork – are not consistently faithful to one specific period of
4221-472: The whole with the addition of the cupola and two-story piazza overlooking the Potomac River. The final expansion increased the mansion to 21 rooms and an area of 11,028 square feet. The great majority of the work was performed by enslaved African Americans and artisans. George Washington expanded the estate by purchasing surrounding parcels of land beginning in the late 1750s and was still adding to
4288-399: Was entombed in a family crypt he had built upon first inheriting the estate. It was in disrepair by 1799, so Washington's will also requested that a new, larger tomb be built. This was not executed until 1831, nearly the centennial of his birth. The need for a new tomb was confirmed when an unsuccessful attempt was made to steal his skull . A joint Congressional committee in early 1832 debated
4355-596: Was initially reluctant to accept the gift, stating that it was "too elegant & costly I fear for my own room, & republican stile of living." Efforts have been made to restore the rooms and maintain the atmosphere of the 18th century; this has been achieved by using original color schemes and by displaying furniture, carpets and decorative objects which are contemporary to the house. The rooms contain portraits and former possessions of George Washington and his family. The gardens and grounds contain English boxwoods , taken from cuttings sent by Major General Henry Lee III
4422-545: Was placed on the right side of the gateway to the tomb. A similar structure was provided for Martha's remains, which was placed on the left. Other members of the Washington family are interred in an inner vault, behind the vestibule containing the sarcophagi. Following Martha Washington's death in 1802, George Washington's will was carried out in accordance with the terms of his bequests. The largest part of his estate, which included both his papers and Mount Vernon, passed to his nephew, Bushrod Washington , an Associate Justice of
4489-795: Was probably incorporated to improve ventilation of the enlarged attic and enhance the overall symmetry of the structure and the two wings; a similar cupola crowns the Governor's House at Williamsburg , of which Washington would have been aware. Though no architect is known to have designed Mount Vernon, some attribute the design to John Ariss , a prominent Virginia architect who designed Paynes Church in Fairfax County (now destroyed) and likely Mount Airy in Richmond County . Other sources credit Colonel Richard Blackburn, who also designed Rippon Lodge in Prince William County and
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