Mount Vernon is the plantation home of the first president of the United States George Washington. 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 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 by George Washington’s father Augustine, around 1734. 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, under the ownership of several successive generations of the family, the estate progressively declined as revenues were insufficient to maintain it adequately. In 1858, the house’s historical importance was recognized and it was saved from ruin by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association; this philanthropic organization acquired it together with part of the Washington property estate. Escaping the damage suffered by many plantation houses during the American Civil War, Mount Vernon was restored.
The estate is on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia
Visitor Center
Beautiful grounds leading up to the main house
Ample signage and information panels explaining every aspect of the house and grounds
Interiors of the main house
Bedrooms
Kitchens
Beautiful view of the river
Out buildings
Working farm
Tomb
Slavery is not glossed over
Grounds and surrounding woodlands with signage
