Mount Vernon near Alexandria in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
George Washington's Distillery and Gristmill in 1799
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 11, 2019
1. George Washington's Distillery and Gristmill in 1799 Marker
1. Miller's Cottage, Kitchen, Garden and Orchard
Constructed 1770-1771. From 1770 to 1799, George Washington employed several millers who lived in this cottage.
2. Gristmill
Constructed 1770-1771. The mill had two sets of millstones and an interior waterwheel. In 1791, George Washington installed a patented automated milling system by Oliver Evans.
3. Cooperage
Construct ca. 1770-1771. Barrels for flour, and later for whiskey, were manufactured here.
4. Malt House
Constructed 1798. Malted barley was a key ingredient in Washington's whiskey. The malting process was conducted here.
5. Distillery
Constructed 1797-1798. After initial success in distilling on a smaller scale, Washington built this large whiskey distillery containing five stills.
6. Hog and Cattle Sheds
Constructed 1798. The slops left over from the fermentation process in the distillery provided excellent feed for hogs and cattle.
7. Wharf
Constructed 1770-1771. Finished flour from the gristmill, and whiskey from the distillery were transported by vessels to the nearby town of Alexandria, Virginia and beyond.
Topics and series.
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Location. 38° 42.793′ N, 77° 7.799′ W. Marker is near Alexandria, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It is in Mount Vernon. It can be reached from Mount Vernon Memorial Highway (Virginia Route 235) 0.1 miles south of Grist Mill Woods Way, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5514 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria VA 22309, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 11, 2019
2. George Washington's Distillery and Gristmill in 1799 Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: George Washington's Whiskey Distillery Cornerstone (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to George Washington's Distillery & Gristmill at Mount Vernon (within shouting distance of this marker); Doeg Indians (within shouting distance of this marker); George Washington's Gristmill (within shouting distance of this marker); Woodlawn (within shouting distance of this marker); Woodlawn Cultural Landscape Historic District (within shouting distance of this marker); Woodlawn Historic Landscapes (approx. 0.3 miles away); Potomac Connections (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alexandria.
Photographed by Roger Dean Meyer, May 5, 2007
3. George Washington's Distillery
Photographed by Roger Dean Meyer, May 5, 2007
4. George Washington's Distillery Cornerstone
George Washingtons whiskey distillery was constructed between October 1797 and February 1798. This cornerstone for the recreated distillery was salvaged from the original United States Capitol and is the same Virginia sandstone that was used in the construction of the distillery. George Washington dedicated the Capitol on September 18, 1793. This cornerstone ws laid on September 28, 2005.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 427 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4. submitted on March 21, 2020, by Roger Dean Meyer of Yankton, South Dakota.
