Rajeev's World: A Trip To Mount Vernon... Part I

Saturday, October 22, 2016

A Trip To Mount Vernon... Part I

Today is my last day in Washington D.C., before departing tomorrow and before the rounds of meetings commence in the afternoon, I had to pay a visit to Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington, 25 miles down the Potomac in Fairfax County of Virginia. This would be another whirlwind, as I have to be back in the District before 1 PM.

Mount Vernon was the plantation house of the founding father and the first president, George Washington, and his wife, Martha Dandridge Custis Washington. The Washington family had owned land in the area since the time of Washington's great-grandfather in 1674. In 1739, the family expanded the estate till George Washington became the sole owner until 1761.

The mansion is built of wood in a loose Palladian style, and was constructed by George Washington between 1758 and 1778. And after that Mount Vernon remained Washington's country home for the rest of his life.

Following George Washington's 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 estate's historical importance was recognized and it was saved from ruin by a philanthropic organization, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, who had Mount Vernon was restored.

And the estate is open to visitors, in line with the founding father's thoughts expressed in 1794, when he wrote "I have no objection to any sober or orderly person's gratifying their curiosity in viewing the buildings, Gardens, about Mount Vernon".