Fairfax County(710) ► ADJACENT TO FAIRFAX COUNTY Alexandria(378) ► Arlington County(461) ► Fairfax(48) ► Falls Church(137) ► Loudoun County(345) ► Prince William County(660) ► Washington, D.C.(2607) ► Charles County, Maryland(150) ► Montgomery County, Maryland(753) ► Prince George's County, Maryland(644) ►
Touch name on this list to highlight map location. Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
"Much fencing is necessary at this plantation before it can be said to be advantageously laid off and in good order."
George Washington to John Fairfax, January 1, 1789
When it came to fencing, . . . — — Map (db m182621) HM
"A batteau…is the most proper Vessel for water fencing by being flat bottom'd and will go in Shawl water.."
Anthony Whitting to George Washington, January 16, 1793
Although we do not have a . . . — — Map (db m182618) HM
Mount Vernon's lower garden provided vegetables, fruits, and herbs to feed the Washingtons and their guests. Kitchen gardens were considered the most consequential part of gardening in the 18th century as they contributed to health and survival. . . . — — Map (db m182577) HM
A group of Virginia Indians referred to as the Doeg (but also Dogue, Taux, and other names) occupied villages and settlements along the Potomac and Occoquan Rivers by 1607. They included Tauxenent, near the mouth of the Occoquan River, Namasingakent . . . — — Map (db m32063) HM
George Washington was very fond of horses and dogs and owned many during his lifetime. Both animals could be found in the forest as part of various activities at the estate, such as foxhunts. The American Kennel Club credits George Washington for . . . — — Map (db m182650) HM
"When I speak of a knowing Farmer, I mean one who understands the best course of Crops […] & above all, Midas like, one who can convert everything he touches into manure, as the first transmutation towards Gold."
George . . . — — Map (db m182581) HM
Gardeners carefully pruned and trained dwarf variety fruit trees, such as apple, apricot, cherry, and peach. These living sculptures not only please the eye, but also maximize valuable growing space. Espaliers generally grow against a wall. . . . — — Map (db m182580) HM
"…there is nothing I more ardently desire; nor indeed is there any more essential to my permanent interest, than raising of live fences on proper Ditches or banks."
—George Washington to Overseers at Mount Vernon, July . . . — — Map (db m182585) HM
Most of this four-acre enclosure was devoted to an orchard that produced the apples, cherries, peaches, and other fruits needed in the kitchen. Vegetables, grains, and pasture grasses were grown in beds and allowed to "go to seed," providing the . . . — — Map (db m182590) HM
The forest around George Washington's home has been preserved and protected since the last quarter of the 18th century, beginning with Washington himself.
A working plantation made great demands on the surrounding forest, as wood was . . . — — Map (db m182653) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m140954) HM
In the 18th century, George Washington's Mount Vernon property included Dogue Run Farm, Muddy Hole Farm, River Farm, Union Farm, and Mansion House Farm, where you are now. As the map illustrates, more than half of this 8,000-acre property was . . . — — Map (db m148093) HM
In 1771, George Washington replaced a deteriorated gristmill that his father, Augustine, may have erected as early as the 1730s. The new mil ground grain from Mount Vernon and neighboring farms, and was outfitted with two pairs of millstones. In . . . — — Map (db m32060) HM
"The whole plantation, the garden, and the rest prove well that a man born with the natural taste may guess a beauty without having seen the model. The General has never left America…but it seems as if he had copied the best samples . . . — — Map (db m182659) HM
George Washington wanted to keep farm animals away from the Mansion without obstructing visitors' views of a pastoral landscape with animals grazing in the distance. Instead of fences, he used ha-ha walls, which have a top level that is even with . . . — — Map (db m194337) HM
Only members of the gentry used the Necessary, commonly known as an outhouse or privy, and likely only in good weather. Chamber pots were used inside the house in evenings and in cold or inclement weather. Slaves removed, emptied, and cleaned the . . . — — Map (db m140945) HM
"I entirely approve…of establishing large Nurseries of every kind of plant that i fit for hedges."
George Washington to Farm Manager Anthony Whiting
December 9, 1792
This marker commemorates the establishment of the Purple Heart decoration by General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, on August 8, 1782.
The Purple Heart Trail memorializes those patriots who were awarded the . . . — — Map (db m14173) HM
The original Mount Vernon High School was located here on 8.8 acres that were once part of George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. Fairfax County purchased the land for $400 per acre in November 1938. Construction funding was provided by Fairfax . . . — — Map (db m100772) HM
A Cobblestone Quarry
Archaeologists and geologists agree that during George Washington's day, this area was a likely source of stone for the Mount Vernon estate. Cobbles (a naturally rounded rock fragment) were collected and used to . . . — — Map (db m182625) HM
Dedicated in 1932, the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway was created to honor George Washington’s 200th birthday. This scenic parkway connected Mount Vernon to the recently dedicated Arlington Memorial Bridge. As the first modern motorway built by . . . — — Map (db m93157) HM
The house of moderate cost is not only America's major architectural problem but the problem most difficult for her major architects.
- Frank Lloyd Wright, 1936
Samuel Powel, mayor of Philadelphia and good friend of the Washingtons, owned the handsome coach made by Clark Brothers, well known Philadelphia carriage makers who also built a small coach, or chariot for the Washingtons. A chariot accommodates two . . . — — Map (db m194335) HM
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow that was designed for use on small rivers or other shallow water. This type of vessel was very common in 18th-century America. George Washington's records show that punts were used by hired and . . . — — Map (db m182619) HM
As a young man, George Washington acquired a riding chair similar to the 18th century example you see here (alongside a modern reproduction). Popular in America and England, riding chairs could travel country lanes and back roads more easily than . . . — — Map (db m217318) HM
"…it is miserable for a farmer to be obliged to buy his Seeds; to exchange Seeds may, in some cases be useful; but to buy them after the first year is disreputable."
George Washington to Farm Manager William Pierce . . . — — Map (db m182589) HM
This cabin represents dwellings inhabited by enslaved people who worked on Washington's outlying farm. Groups of cabins were arranged opposite an overseer's house.
At Dogue Run Farm, where Washington's 16-sided treading barn was originally . . . — — Map (db m182624) HM
There are no records that document the number of enslaved or free African-Americans who are buried in this cemetery. From oral histories and a handful of early 19th-century visitor accounts, estimates range from 100-150 people. Among those . . . — — Map (db m112650) HM
In 1929, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association placed a marker noting the location of the slave cemetery, believed to be the first commemoration of its kind at a historic site. Despite this recognition, the burial ground lay unattended for decades, . . . — — Map (db m112855) HM
In 1799, this estate was home to a community of 317 enslaved men, women, and children who had no choice but to live here. Most of these enslaved people lived and worked on the four outlying farms as rural laborers. About one quarter of the . . . — — Map (db m112852) HM
"When I speak of a knowing farmer, I mean one who understands the best course of crops; … and above all, Midas like, one who can convert everything he touches into manure, as the first transmutation towards Gold." . . . — — Map (db m182620) HM
"For in the affairs of farming or Planting, more perhaps than in any other, it may justly be said there is a time for all things."
George Washington to John Fairfax, January 1, 1789
"The sun never caught [Washington] in bed, and he was unwilling it should find any of his people sleeping."
Former Washington slave, quoted in Parley's Magazine, 1838
In 1799, most of Mount . . . — — Map (db m182623) HM
"For every acre…, an Apple tree of good grafted fruit is to be planted on the premises, in a regular orchard truly laid out in rows forty feet apart…Between w[hi]ch, (also in regular order) rows of peach trees…"
George . . . — — Map (db m182594) HM
The Mount Vernon Memorial Highway was authorized by Congress May 23, 1928 as an activity of the United States Commission for the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of George Washington The highway was designed and . . . — — Map (db m15596) HM
”The family vault at Mount Vernon requiring repairs and being improperly situated besides, I desire that a new one of Brick, and upon a larger Scale, may be built at the foot of what is commonly called the Vineyard Inclosure …” . . . — — Map (db m13146) HM
"The planters, to be sure, are rich in lands, and having so many negroes to labor for them live in all the luxury, ease, and ...affluence."
Thomas Hill Hubbard, December 29, 1817
Visitors in the early 1800s would have . . . — — Map (db m140935) HM
"…a neat flower garden laid out in squares and boxed with great precision."
Benjamin Henry Latrobe, noted architect and visitor to Mount Vernon, July 1796
Filled with a rich variety of plants, . . . — — Map (db m182660) HM
From his youthful venture into Virginia's Shenandoah Valley at age 16 until the end of his life, George Washington observed, collected, and planted hundreds of trees. When Washington created his new 1780s landscape, he went to the surrounding . . . — — Map (db m182643) HM
George Washington had several horse-drawn vehicles. Slaves, including Joe, a driver, and Jack, a wagoner, took care of the Mount Vernon vehicles. Travel during the 18th century was difficult. Poorly maintained roads meant that even short journeys . . . — — Map (db m112850) HM
"I hope someday or another, we shall become a store house and granary for the world."
—George Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette, June 19, 1788
While known best as the successful commander of the American Revolution and as the . . . — — Map (db m140952) HM
George Washington made Mount Vernon his home from 1754 until his death in 1799. He enlarged the house and expanded his estate from 2,100 to 8,000 and he experimented with dozens of crops, ornamental plants, and trees. Today visitors of Mount Vernon . . . — — Map (db m93617) HM
The Mansion, constructed of wood, appears to be made of stone; an effect called rustication. The pine siding boards were cut and beveled to resemble stone blocks. After paint was applied to the boards, sand was thrown onto their wet surface to . . . — — Map (db m182661) HM
"A most beautiful site for a Gentleman's seat..."
George Washington, December 1793
Washington presented 2000 acres of his Mount Vernon estate to his nephew Major Lawrence Lewis and Eleanor "Nelly" Parke Custis. . . . — — Map (db m140931) HM
Originally part of the Mount Vernon estate, Woodlawn was built in 1800-1805. George Washington gave the plantation, as a wedding gift to Eleanor Parke "Nelly" Custis and her husband, Lawrence Lewis, respectively Martha Washington's granddaughter and . . . — — Map (db m32057) HM
This 152-acre historic district was part of George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. In 1799 Washington gave the Woodlawn tract to his step-granddaughter Eleanor Park Custis and her husband, Lawrence Lewis. Northern Quakers bought the property in . . . — — Map (db m140950) HM
Following in the footsteps of Texans who supported the construction of the original main gate in 1899, Texans and friends of the Lone Star State restored this gate in 1988. — — Map (db m182572) HM
"The most valuable and scarcer kinds of plants…may receive nourishment in my little garden."
George Washington, letter to manager Anthony Whitting, November 25, 1792
Washington often tended this . . . — — Map (db m182664) HM
Rivers were like highways in Washington's time and having access to the water connected Mount Vernon to the outside world. Riverfront activities were a part of daily life and ranged from shipping and receiving goods, such as tobacco, fish, flour, . . . — — Map (db m148150) HM
What animal made each print? Are they still here today?
Timber wolf
No. The timber wolf now resides in the mountain forests and the dense woodlands of the northern states. They had probably disappeared from the woods around . . . — — Map (db m182651) HM
"Prepare your butter for use as in Common & Immerse it in the Liquid & Keep it continually covered & it will keep sweet & good."
From the Housekeeping Book of Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis, 1832
"It is always in one's power to cut a tree down, but time only can place them where one would have them, after the ground is stripped…”
George Washington letter to his manager, Jan. 25, 1795
As holds true today, much of the area . . . — — Map (db m194563) HM
"I want a Man that will labour hard, knowing at the same time how to keep a Garden in good Order and Sow Seed in their proper Seasons in ground that he has prepared well…"
George Washington's specifications for a gardener, . . . — — Map (db m182663) HM
The George Washington Memorial Parkway opened in 1932 as the nation's first modern federal highway. Its construction honored the bicentennial of George Washington's birth as a patriotic pilgrimage between Washington, DC, and Mount Vernon. This . . . — — Map (db m182570) HM
"This River..is well supplied with various kinds of fish at all Seasons of the year…the whole shore in short is one entire fishery."
George Washington to Arthur Young, December 12, 1793
George Washington's skill as a general helped secure our independence, and his leadership as our first president shaped this new nation. Still today, his enduring legacy continues to inspire.
After falling to disrepair following his death in . . . — — Map (db m182571) HM
George Washington’s 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 . . . — — Map (db m199804) HM
In 18th-century America, riverside property was considered prime real estate, allowing owners to take advantage of transportation and trade opportunities. Located on the banks of the Potomac River, the wharf was an incredibly important part of . . . — — Map (db m147903) HM
Home of George and Martha Washington
"No estate in United America is more pleasantly situated than this. It lyes [sic] in a high, dry country 300 miles by water from the Sea and…on one of the finest Rivers in the world."
-George . . . — — Map (db m147909) HM
“A glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always ready, and such as will be content to partake of them are always welcome”
George Washington, letter to George William Fairfax, June 26, 1786.
"The Recipe for smoked Beef is the same as for Hams, except, that in place of 2 lb sugar, take 2 qrts. of Molasses. The Beef must be put in bags also."
Eleanor Park Custis Lewis, 1832
This structure was a workplace . . . — — Map (db m140939) HM
George Washington acquired Mount Vernon in 1754. Over a period of 30 years, he transformed the simple farmhouse into a mansion embellished with rusticated wood siding, a cupola, and a portico overlooking the Potomac River. Every aspect of the . . . — — Map (db m61098) HM
For thousands of years before the Washington family acquired this land in 1674, Native Americans resided here. On the hilltop beyond this sign, archaeologists have excavated a variety of prehistoric Indian artifacts. This high point of land . . . — — Map (db m182656) HM
Ona (or Oney) Judge, born into slavery at Mount Vernon, became Martha Washington's personal attendant as a child. After George Washington was elected president in 1789, Judge was brought to New York City and later to Philadelphia to serve his . . . — — Map (db m182596) HM
In the summer of 1799, George Washington noted that while he had "a large stock of Hogs—the precise number is uknown." Identifying the number of hogs on the estate was difficult because many were allowed to run free and graze in the surrounding . . . — — Map (db m194450) HM
George Washington lived in and traveled from this region, pursuing his dream of westward expansion—to connect the Atlantic Seaboard with the frontier West. His efforts to use the Potomac River as a commercial artery influenced industrialization . . . — — Map (db m198369) HM
George Washington recognized and celebrated the beauty of the Potomac River and its connection to his life here, once describing it in a 1793 letter to Arthur Young as "one of the finest Rivers in the world."
When discussing his . . . — — Map (db m148148) HM
In the years following the American Revolution, George Washington had between 300 and 350 head of cattle at Mount Vernon. This herd, which included different breeds, provided the estate with meat, milk to make butter, leather for clothing and . . . — — Map (db m182657) HM
Originally constructed in the nineteenth century the structure has welcomed to George Washington's estate more than a million visitors from countries around the world. A complete restoration was conducted in 1991 with gifts from citizens and . . . — — Map (db m182608) HM
The Potomac River meanders over 383 miles from Fairfax Stone, West Virginia, to Point Lookout, Maryland, where it flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The watershed of the Potomac River stretches across: Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, . . . — — Map (db m148154) HM
On August 14, 1781, Generals Washington and Rochambeau received news that a large French fleet under the command of Admiral de Grasse was headed for the Chesapeake Bay carrying 3,000 French soldiers. There the British general, Cornwallis, was . . . — — Map (db m902) HM
While its location on the Potomac was usually a blessing—both for its beautiful views and commercial opportunities—Mount Vernon's safety was threatened by activities on the river during times of war.
American Revolution (1775-1783)
In . . . — — Map (db m147908) HM
General Washington, in 1781, rode 60 miles in one day from Baltimore to Mount Vernon, which he had not visited for over 6 years. General Rochambeau arrived next day with his and Washington’s staff. They spent Sept. 10 and 11 at Mount Vernon before . . . — — Map (db m883) HM
George Washington gave this part of Mount Vernon to his nephew and step-granddaughter, Lawrence and Eleanor Lewis, in 1799. Dr. William Thornton, architect of the U.S. Capitol, designed Woodlawn. Construction of the Federal-style houses occurred . . . — — Map (db m140933) HM