"The Father of Our Country," George Washington, lived in a gracious Virginia plantation house mostly of his own design. As his fame grew, the house became something of a pilgrimage spot. Indeed, much of the income from Washington's various plantations went to paying the costs of entertaining all his guests. Even after his death people traveled from all over the world to see his house and tomb. The house was finally purchased from Washington's heirs in 1858 by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union and opened to the public for tours.
The original house, called Eppsewasson, was built by George's father Augustine and was probably one-and-a-half stories with a central hall and two rooms per floor. George's half-brother Lawrence inherited the house and renamed it Mount Vernon in honor of the Admiral he'd served under in the Caribbean, Edward Vernon. After Lawrence's death George bought out Lawrence's widow, though his military career prevented him from spending that much time at his new home.
In 1759 he married Martha Dandridge Custis, a wealthy widow with two children. At that time Mount Vernon was in the middle of another renovation, which raised the house's height to two-and-a-half stories. Finally, renovations conducted between 1774 and 1787 brought the house to its current appearance, with the addition of rooms on the north and south ends, a cupola on the roof and a two-story portico along the eastern side that faces the Potomac River.
The immediate grounds of the house are surrounded by several rings of roads. The main driveway is more or less bell-shaped and leads to a circular court on the western side. Most visitors came in through the central western door under the main staircase into a breezy paneled hallway that served as the chief sitting room in warmer months. To the right is the dining room, with an elaborate mantelpiece and over-mantel and plasterwork on the ceiling. The walls are glossy green. The chairs are Chippendale ladder-backs.
Beyond the dining room is a bedroom with pale blue paneled walls. It was probably the original master bedroom and may well have been the principal living room in Lawrence's time.
To the left of the western entrance is the west parlor. This room features Prussian blue paneling, almost wall-to-wall family portraits and George Washington's coat of arms carved into the over-mantel. Next door is the little parlor, a fairly austere former bedroom that was later converted into a music room.
On the north end of the house, with two doors leading in from outside and two more from the house, is the two-story banqueting room, also known as the new room or large dining room. This room was dominated by a fireplace on the south side and a huge Palladian window on the north.
On the south side of the house is Washington's private study, with a vestibule and pantries to the west and another vestibule, closet and private staircase to the east. Here Washington managed his estate, wrote, shaved and read from his 884-volume library.
Step2
On the second floor, moving clockwise from the top of the main stairs, visitors will find the blue bedroom (named for its predominant color), the Lafayette guest room, a small room with stairs to the third floor, the tiny bedroom (formerly a storage room) of Martha's grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, the yellow bedroom and the bedroom of Martha's granddaughter, Nelly Custis. The master bedroom, where Washington died, is located over his study. It has its own hallway, with stairs to the first and third floors, and it also has an attached linen room and dressing room.
After Washington died, Martha closed up the master bedroom and moved to a bedroom on the third floor. There are two other bedrooms on that floor and four storage rooms.
Step3
Curving colonnades connect the house on the northwest and southwest ends to an office and the kitchen, respectively. Other buildings on the immediate grounds include Washington's tomb, a brick conservatory with servants quarters, ice house, spinning-house (it's used for spinning wool—the building itself doesn't spin), a storehouse, gardener's house, butler's house, smokehouse, wash house, coach house and stable. There are formally laid out flower and fruit gardens, surrounded by brick walls and featuring octagonal privies, a toolhouse and a schoolhouse.
The state-of-the-art museum and education center attempts to transform Washington from a piece of marble statuary into a flesh and blood man. There is even an entire gallery devoted to the study of his dentures. And slave life at the estate is examined realistically.
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