UPCOMING AT MOUNT VERNON
JOIN US FOR THESE SPECIAL EVENTS
CHRISTMAS ILLUMINATIONS
Enjoy an enchanted evening of celebratory fireworks, wintry lights, and holiday music, December 20–22. Tickets are discounted for Mount Vernon members. mountvernon.org/illuminations
WINTER GLOW
See the estate illuminated with brilliant lights, and visit an 18th-century winter encampment on select evenings in November and December. Tickets are discounted for Mount Vernon members. mountvernon.org/winterglow
CONSULTING EDITOR: Norie Quintos
DESIGNER : Jerry Sealy
VICE PRESIDENT, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS: Julie Almacy
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: James B. Hicks III
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR: Breck Pappas
VISUAL RESOURCES: Dawn Bonner
PROOFREADER: Lorna Notsch
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Adam Erby
Dawn Bonner
Margaret Loftus
Cheryl Marling
Kristen Otto Breck Pappas
Mount Vernon magazine is published three times a year by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the nonprofit organization that owns and manages George Washington’s estate. We envision an America where all know and value the singular story of the father of our country. Ever mindful of our past, we seek innovative and compelling ways to tell the story of George Washington, so that his timeless and relevant life lessons are accessible to the world.
This publication is produced solely for nonprofit, educational purposes, and every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate and appropriate attribution for all elements, including historical images in the public domain. All written material, unless otherwise stated, is the copyright of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. While vetted for accuracy, the feature articles included in this magazine reflect the research and interpretation of the contributing authors and historians.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon P.O. Box 110, Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121
All editorial, reprint, or circulation correspondence should be directed to magazine@mountvernon.org. mountvernon.org/magazine
ABOUT THE COVER
This contemporary photograph of a bowl of cherries represents the hospitality Washington’s guests found at Mount Vernon. The handpicked tart cherries were grown in Mount Vernon’s gardens, and the Blue Canton bowl is a reproduction of one from the Washingtons’ “everyday” china; it is available for purchase at The Shops.
Photograph and styling by Kaitlyn Prange and Vincent Seng/MVLA
THE HOSPITALITY ISSUE
12 | Hosted by the Washingtons
An endless stream of visitors called on the Washingtons at Mount Vernon
By Jessie MacLeod
20 | Invitation to Dine
Guests were often treated to a splendid table, prepared by enslaved workers
By Mary V. Thompson
28 | Changing Room
Following years of investigations, the Mansion’s Old Chamber has a new look
By Amanda Isaac
34 | The Fruits of Labor
How archaeologists unearthed centuries-old bottles in the cellar
By Jason Boroughs
The view most visitors saw upon arrival at the Mansion. The artist depicts the Washington family strolling on the bowling green. In the background, a group of enslaved men walks past the servants’ hall.
4 | News
Get to know the new Regent, longtime director of horticulture departs, Martha Washington’s height revealed, and more
10 | Focus on Philanthropy
Etiquette expert and Mount Vernon supporter Lisa Burdette believes that George Washington’s example is character-building
38 | Washington in the Classroom
A first-grade teacher in western Pennsylvania uses Washington’s Rules of Civility to pique his young students’ interest in history
40 | Shows of Support
The elegant Life Guard Society gala and the always festive Spirit of Mount Vernon celebration
44 | Featured Photo
Where did hungry Mount Vernon visitors go around 1900?
They often stopped at the Mt. Vernon Lunch Room, operated by the Gibbs family
George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate is owned and maintained in trust for the people of the United States by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union, a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1853 by Ann Pamela Cunningham.
THE MOUNT VERNON LADIES’ ASSOCIATION
Anne Neal Petri, Regent
VICE REGENTS
Cameron Kock Mayer, Louisiana
Maribeth Armstrong Borthwick, California
Ann Haunschild Bookout, Texas
Virginia Dawson Lane, South Carolina
Laura Peebles Rutherford, Alabama
Susan Marshall Townsend, Delaware
Liz Rollins Mauran, Rhode Island
Ann Cady Scott, Missouri
Sarah Miller Coulson, Pennsylvania
Andrea Notman Sahin, Massachusetts
Catherine Hamilton Mayton, Arkansas
Margaret Hartman Nichols, Maine
Helen Herboth Laughery, Wyoming
Catherine Marlette Waddell, Illinois
Lucia Bosqui Henderson, Virginia
Mary Lang Bishop, Oregon
Elizabeth Medlin Hale, Georgia
Ann Sherrill Pyne, New York
Hilary Carter West, District of Columbia
Karen McCabe Kirby, New Jersey
Adrian MacLean Jay, Tennessee
Sarah Seaman Alijani, Colorado
Susan Brewster McCarthy, Minnesota
Carolyn Sherrill Fuller, North Carolina
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Douglas Bradburn, PhD, President & CEO
Joe Bondi, Senior Vice President, Development
Julie Almacy, Vice President, Media & Communications
Phil Manno, Chief Financial Officer
Susan P. Schoelwer, PhD, Executive Director, Historic
Preservation & Collections & Robert H. Smith Senior Curator
Lindsay M. Chervinsky, PhD, Executive Director, George
Washington Presidential Library
Joseph Sliger, Vice President, Operations & Maintenance
K. Allison Wickens, Vice President, Education
Joan Flintoft, Vice President, Hospitality
The Washingtons were renowned for their hospitality, both before and after the war that made Mount Vernon a destination for countless admirers and curiosity seekers. Of George Washington, a British visitor wrote, “He keeps an excellent table and a stranger, let him be of what country or nation, he will always meet with a most hospitable reception at it.” It is a tradition that we at Mount Vernon strive to maintain as we welcome visitors from around the world.
In this issue, we invite you to delve into the hospitality of the Washingtons. Amanda Isaac, Mount Vernon’s curator of fine and decorative arts, takes us inside the restoration of the Mansion’s Old Chamber. The refurnishing of this first-floor guest bedchamber, which likely once served as the Washingtons’ own bedroom in the years following their marriage, marks the completion of a multiyear effort to bring the major guestrooms at Mount Vernon up to date with recent research. Jessie MacLeod, Mount Vernon’s former associate curator, draws from the rich written accounts of those who visited Mount Vernon to piece together what an 18th-century guest might have experienced. Mary V. Thompson, research historian emerita, reserves us a spot in the Washingtons’ dining room to observe the splendor of the table and to meet the enslaved laborers—Frank, Marcus, Christopher, Hercules, Lucy, and Doll, among others—whose efforts made it possible.
So, imagine our excitement when a recent archaeological discovery provided a tangible link to the Washingtons’ table and the hands that prepared it. Working as the vanguard of the Mansion Revitalization Project, a landmark initiative to shore up the Mansion’s foundations and restore the 18th-century cellar, our Archaeology team made national headlines: Peeling back the original cellar floor, they discovered 29 intact glass bottles, many containing preserved cherries. On page 34, savor this wonderful find, which has helped us to understand more of the dynamic world of the Washingtons’ table.
I also want to take this moment for a special announcement. At the end of the October Board meeting, Margaret Hartman Nichols, the 23rd Regent of the MVLA, completed her three-year term. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Nichols for her excellent tenure, visionary leadership, and tireless devotion. She has been indispensable to the great successes of Mount Vernon over the last three years, in education, preservation, scholarship,
and project management, as the institution emerged from the pandemic stronger than before.
We now warmly welcome our 24th Regent, Anne Neal Petri, Vice Regent for Wisconsin. You will be hearing from her soon, and I encourage you to learn more about Mrs. Petri and her longstanding dedication to the mission of Mount Vernon on page 4.
In this issue, we also bid farewell to Dean Norton, Mount Vernon’s revered director of horticulture and livestock, who is retiring after an extraordinary 55-year career. Dean’s work has delighted generations of visitors, and his impact will be felt for years to come.
During their lifetimes, the Washingtons opened their home to friends, family, and strangers alike. As we embrace this season of giving, I ask that you consider contributing to our ongoing Strengthening Our Foundations campaign to ensure that Mount Vernon continues its hospitable legacy for many generations.
I wish you a joyous holiday season. We look forward to hosting you again soon at Mount Vernon.
Warm regards,
President and CEO
New Regent Begins Term
Anne “Dede” Neal Petri of Wisconsin takes the helm of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
On October 22, 2024, Anne “Dede” Neal Petri of Wisconsin became the 24th Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (MVLA). Under Petri’s leadership, the MVLA will undertake strategic planning to prepare for two milestone celebrations—the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026 and George Washington’s 300th birthday in 2032. The completion of the Mansion Revitalization Project, as well as an extensive refresh of Mount Vernon’s Education Center, will ensure that Mount Vernon continues to inspire and educate future generations about our first president.
“The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association has the critical role of keeping George Washington ‘first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen,’” Petri said. “By expanding educational outreach, fostering a deeper appreciation for our history, and preparing for the milestones of 2026 and beyond, we can draw the nation’s attention to the inspirational leadership and character of our first president.”
Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Petri graduated from Harvard College with an B.A. in American history and literature and received her J.D. from Harvard Law School. Over her distinguished career, Petri has served as general counsel for the National Endowment for the Humanities, co-founder and president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, and president of The Garden Club of America. She currently serves as president and CEO of the
Olmsted Network, where she led the Olmsted Bicentennial celebration.
A Vice Regent since 2008, Petri is the second Regent to hail from the state of Wisconsin. Mrs. Lucien M. Hanks, the Association’s seventh Regent, took the helm in 1943.
Petri succeeds Margaret Hartman Nichols of Maine, whose historic tenure included significant progress on the landmark “Strengthening Our Foundations” fundraising campaign, a U.S. presidential visit, and the commencement of two major initiatives to revitalize the Mansion and the educational exhibit on George Washington.
“I continue to be amazed and inspired by my predecessors—all of the past Regents and Vice Regents who have served this special place,” Petri said. “The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association holds a distinct honor in history as the first national patriotic women’s organization. The opportunity to build on that legacy is exciting and invigorating, and I look forward to working with the other members of the Board as we shape Mount Vernon’s future.” H
“The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association has the critical role of keeping George Washington ‘first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.’ ”
—Anne “Dede” Neal Petri, Regent
Anne “Dede” Neal Petri of Wisconsin is the 24th Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.
Dean Norton to Retire
Director of horticulture and livestock to depart after more than five decades
Dean Norton, Mount Vernon’s director of horticulture and livestock, will retire at the end of 2024 after an extraordinary 55-year career. In recognition of his dedicated service, Norton will receive the title of director emeritus of horticulture and livestock.
Norton began working at the estate on June 23, 1969. After receiving a degree in horticulture from Clemson University, he became Mount Vernon’s boxwood gardener. He was promoted to horticulturist in 1980. Norton has contributed to a wide range of historical and horticultural initiatives, including the research and restoration of Washington’s botanical garden, upper garden, bowling green, and fruit garden and nursery. Over his long career, he has garnered a number of awards and accolades; in April 2023, President Biden appointed Norton to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.
“Dean’s informed and delightful presentations on George Washington’s gardens and grounds have transformed the experience of hundreds of thousands of visitors, making lasting memories,” says Anne Neal
Petri, MVLA Regent. “Thanks to Dean’s great work, I feel certain the General would feel right at home if he walked onto the bowling green today.” H
A Mount Vernon life: (clockwise from top left) Taking a core sample; playing the bugle at the Tomb as a Boy Scout; showing then Prince Charles the lower garden; with his daughters, who once worked as gardeners; and greeting First Lady Laura Bush and Japan’s Akie Abe.
Afternoon Tea Time
A new holiday tradition at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is introducing a new holiday tradition—afternoon tea at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant. Guests will enjoy a selection of fine teas, accompanied by live harp music and a special menu featuring gourmet finger sandwiches, scones, and a selection of sweets. The cozy, historical ambiance of the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant provides the perfect setting for this elegant seasonal gathering.
Whether attending with family or friends, this new afternoon activity
a
of refinement and holiday cheer promises to become a cherished part of Mount Vernon’s holiday offerings. Mount Vernon’s holiday afternoon teas will be offered on the following dates: December 6–8 and December
Info Central
A new kiosk honors America’s 250th
On July 4, Mount Vernon unveiled a Mount Vernon 250 kiosk in the Ford Orientation Center, where most visits start. Designed by creative director James B. Hicks III, it provides visitors with useful information about the 250th anniversary programs at Mount Vernon, along with initiatives by partners such as America250, Virginia 250, Fairfax 250, and GoHistory 250. The centerpiece of the kiosk is a selfie station, which has already become a crowd favorite. In its first month, the station saw more than 4,000 photos taken, offering visitors free branded photo keepsakes of their visit. H
13–15, with two seating times each day, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Guests can make reservations by visiting mountvernon.org/ afternoontea. H
Instant souvenir: A visiting family tries out the new selfie station.
There’s
new holiday tradition at Mount Vernon—afternoon tea at the Mount Vernon Inn.
How Tall Was Martha Washington?
Amanda Isaac, Mount Vernon’s fine and decorative arts curator, convened a panel of textile scholars to reassess Martha Washington’s physical proportions through an investigation of her surviving clothing. Colonial Williamsburg’s master tailor Mark Hutter, mantuamaker Brooke Welborn, and Mount Vernon’s Historic Costume Department’s Kathrin Breitt Brown and Paula Key examined and measured 10 garments or portions of garments spanning her adult life from c. 1750 to 1802, now in the collections of Mount Vernon, the New Hampshire Historical Society, Tudor Place, Colonial Williamsburg, and a private collection. Calculations based on these measurements revealed that her height was about 5ˇ3ˇˇ. Isaac and Breitt Brown
presented their findings about the first lady’s height—long a subject of debate—at the Symposium on Historical Dress in Colonial Williamsburg. H
Kathrin Breitt Brown, Brooke Welborn, and Mark Hutter inspect Martha Washington’s brown satin gown, depicted in the miniature below.
Notebook
VIP visit: Mette Frederiksen, prime minister of Denmark, paid a visit to Mount Vernon on July 8. She was presented with a silk scarf depicting the ceiling design of the Mansion’s New Room. Frederiksen signed Mount Vernon’s guest book before embarking on a Mansion tour. List topper: Virginia Living magazine released its 2024 “Best of” issue. Mount Vernon was voted the #1 tourist attraction, the #1 historical site, and the #2 museum in Northern Virginia. New logo: The official logo for Mount Vernon’s celebration of the U.S. Semiquincentennial has been unveiled, along with supporting logos, graphics, and a brand guide. Aged spirits: The distilling team recently cut, filtered, and bottled a batch of premium rye whiskey made in March 2018. It is the oldest whiskey bottled at Mount Vernon to date, at five years, eight months old. H
BY THE NUMBERS
10
Tobacco plants from Mount Vernon donated to the late 18th–century Drane House in Accident, Maryland.
60
Pounds of boxed raw wool sheared last winter from farm sheep to be processed into yarn and sold in The Shops at Mount Vernon.
UPDATED VIRTUAL TOUR UNVEILED
Following the multiyear restoration of several rooms inside the Mansion, Mount Vernon has released an updated virtual tour (pictured above), reflecting recent scholarship and showcasing the newly refurnished spaces in stunning detail.
As the second most visited page on Mount Vernon’s website, with more than 747,000 visits in 2023, the virtual tour now features an up-to-date look at the Little Parlor, Central Passage, Old Chamber, Small Room, Lafayette Bedchamber, and Yellow Room.
Visitors will find striking 360-degree photography of these restored spaces, along with enhanced “points of information,” providing the most in-depth exploration of the Mansion and its furnishings yet.
40,000
Downloads of the eight-episode Inventing the Presidency podcast, available on Mount Vernon’s website.
Aside from providing an accurate depiction of the Mansion’s interior from anywhere in the world, this initiative also ensures continuous access to its history while select rooms are offview during the Mansion Revitalization Project.
EXPLORE THE VIRTUAL TOUR AT VIRTUALTOUR.MOUNTVERNON.ORG
The prime minister of Denmark arrives.
Building Character
Lisa Burdette teaches her family and students from the same rule book Washington used
When Lisa Burdette was in eighth grade, her class made a trip to Washington, D.C., and that’s when she first saw Mount Vernon. She looked out over the Potomac River from the estate and vowed to learn everything she could about the first U.S. president. “I was exhilarated,” she recalls.
Back home in Georgia, she read everything about George Washington and the presidents who followed. This sparked a lifelong passion for American history, inspiring her to become a teacher and a volunteer tour guide at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. Now, in her latest venture, Burdette has created an etiquette consulting business inspired by the Rules of Civility, a collection of 16th-century maxims on how to behave that were a formative influence on Washington, who copied them down at the age of 14. Between careers, Burdette raised a family with her late husband, James Long, DMD, instilling in their six children her love of history and sense of service. When her youngest reached preschool, she began piling the kids into her Ford Excursion each summer and heading north to Washington to explore the nation’s historical landmarks and institutions. These weren’t stop-and-stare tours; rather, Burdette assigned the kids homework to get the most out of their destinations. “They had to read ahead about where we were going until we hit the Virginia line,” she explains. Come evenings, it was time for them to pull out their notebooks and write at least one page about their experiences that day, whether it was visiting their congressional representative on Capitol Hill or touring the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. “I wanted this to be something they could talk about, not just remember,” she says.
At home, Burdette continued the family’s extracurricular schooling with lessons from the Rules of
Civility, which she had learned about on one of their visits to Mount Vernon. “We would read five to 10 rules a night. I would break them down and the children and I would practice, for example, not making loud noises or talking badly about anyone.”
Now that her children are grown—all six attended military academies and went on to serve the country— Burdette brings that same zeal to her etiquette classes for children and business professionals in her home base of Dallas, where she’s a part of a groundswell of support for Mount Vernon.
Not surprisingly, the Rules of Civility remain the foundation of her philosophy. From covering your mouth when you sneeze to not taking pleasure in others’ misfortunes, many of the 110 rules remain relevant today. (See page 38 to read about a fellow educator in Pennsylvania who is incorporating them into his firstgrade social studies classes.)
But Burdette, who married Elliott Burdette in 2021, believes it’s the spirit of the code that’s more crucial than ever: “It’s about building character and situational awareness.” Indeed, she’s made it her mission ever since founding her company in 2018 to impress this upon her students and clients. “It’s about how you act when no one’s looking, when it’s not convenient or comfortable,” she says. “Sacrifice is not a word that’s used enough. George Washington thought of those who are yet to come more than he thought of himself. That’s written throughout history.” H
Etiquette expert and Mount Vernon supporter Lisa Burdette, photographed at the Mount Vernon Inn.
Hosted by Washingtonsthe
An endless stream of visitors called on the Washingtons at Mount Vernon year-round. How were they received?
By Jessie MacLeod
with the most:
Host
This romanticized image depicts George Washington, his family, and the Marquis de Lafayette at Mount Vernon in 1784.
On February 1, 1784, just over a month after resigning his army commission and retiring to Mount Vernon, George Washington wrote that he was looking forward to becoming “a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac … solacing myself with … tranquil enjoyments.” Yet the solitude he craved remained elusive, as the Washingtons soon found themselves hosting an influx of visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the “American Cincinnatus” returned to his plow. Three years later, Washington complained to his mother that his house “may be compared to a well resorted tavern, as scarcely any strangers who are going from north to south, or from south to north do not spend a day or two at it.”
The stream of visitors continued throughout Washington’s presidency and into his retirement. Guests included family and friends, government officials, foreign dignitaries, and countless others who called on George and Martha Washington out of curiosity. Slow communication methods in the 18th century meant that guests often arrived unannounced. Even visitors who lived locally stayed for a meal and usually the night. In 1798 alone, the Washingtons hosted 656 dinner guests and 677 overnight guests.
Many visitors provided reports of their stay in letters,
Mount Vernon received a constant stream of visitors, as depicted in an early 19th–century landscape view of the Mansion (this image) and a drawing of French traveler Jacques-Pierre Brissot de Warville with George Washington in 1788 (below left).
diaries, and published accounts. They recorded their daily experiences within the household, detailed descriptions of the house and plantation, and impressions of their illustrious host and his family. Such documents make clear that for someone like George Washington—introverted, frugal, and a creature of habit—the relentless disruption of
visitors could be grating, especially when he longed to put his full attention on his beloved agricultural pursuits. Yet accounts also affirm that he and Martha welcomed guests with generosity and hospitality. Washington viewed hosting as his duty, the intrusion into private life one of many necessary sacrifices made in service to the nation.
Arrival
Most visitors arrived at Mount Vernon via carriage or horseback from Alexandria, nine miles to the north. The journey could be arduous. English travel writer Isaac Weld lamented the “very thick woods” and “very bad” roads that “cross one another in different directions,” making
navigation difficult. Weld and his traveling companion became lost as night fell, eventually hiring an enslaved man to guide their carriage the rest of the way by lantern light. Arrival via the Potomac River could also present challenges. Agriculturist Richard Parkinson fumed that the voyage from Norfolk to Mount Vernon, which he was assured would take nine hours, lasted 11 days, due to lack of wind.
Once they reached the estate, however, such woes were soon forgotten as visitors encountered Mount Vernon’s splendid setting. “His seat breaks out beautifully upon you when you little expect,” wrote Scotsman Robert Hunter, recalling the view of the Mansion, framed by trees, that emerged at a mile’s distance. Washington had designed the approach to his house so that the road meandered through woods and ravines, periodically providing “vistos” of the Mansion that built visitors’ anticipation. At the base of the bowling green, the route led along one of two lanes, eventually depositing visitors at the Mansion’s west front. Their own servants or one of the Washingtons’ grooms then led guests’ horses and carriage to the nearby stables.
“Having alighted, I sent in my letter of introduction,” recalled English architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Eighteenthcentury custom dictated that visitors unknown to the Washingtons should carry such a document, written by a mutual acquaintance, attesting to their good character and social standing. Latrobe’s letter came from George Washington’s nephew Bushrod Washington. A household servant, in the 1790s, likely enslaved butler Frank Lee, delivered the letter while the guest waited. Latrobe chose to wait on the piazza. Englishman Joshua Brookes recalled that he and his companions “amused themselves viewing [enslaved laborers] at work at the back of the house levelling ground.”
Once vetted, visitors were greeted by a member of the household. Latrobe recalled that George Washington emerged from the Mansion, pulled up a chair, and proceeded to converse with him on the piazza for more
than two hours. More often, Martha Washington, another family member, or a member of Washington’s staff received the visitors and offered a drink. “Madame appeared after a few minutes, welcomed us most graciously and had punch served,” reported Polish nobleman Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz. Joshua Brookes noted that Washington’s secretary Tobias Lear showed them in and served wine from “globular decanters.”
BY THE NUMBERS
677
Number of overnight visitors in one year
George Washington’s daily ride across Mount Vernon’s 8,000 acres meant that he was often not available to greet guests immediately. When visitors did encounter him, their reception—while always cordial—could range from awkward to effusive depending on their relationship and prior acquaintance. “His demeanor was formal, stiff, and reserved,” wrote Joshua Brookes, recalling that the General greeted his party, “sat about five minutes, said little,” and then excused himself. By contrast, when Elizabeth Ambler Carrington arrived with her husband, Revolutionary War veteran Edward Carrington, she described a heartfelt welcome: “His reception of my husband, was that of a Brother; he took us each by the hand, and with a warmth of expression not to be described, pressed mine, and told me that I have conferred a favor never to be forgotten, in bringing his old friend to see him.”
30
Largest number of dinner guests recorded 64 Percentage of days the Washingtons had dinner guests in 1785
Whether guests were strangers or friends, however, Washington rarely altered his routine for them. He devoted the bulk of his days to plantation matters, with Sundays set aside for letter-writing. Carrington observed, “[T]ransient persons, who call from curiosity … are treated with civility, but never interfere with the order of the house.” Even friends, she went on, “are left much to themselves, indeed scarcely see him from breakfast to dinner, unless he engages them in a ride, which is very agreeable to him.”
Making themselves at home
After their initial welcome, guests were typically left to their own devices to explore the house and grounds. Many described viewing the artwork and furnishings in the Central Passage, Front Parlor, Little
Parlor, and New Room. These rooms, primarily on the Mansion’s north side, formed the public showpiece of the Mansion. The Washingtons had outfitted them with suites of matching furniture, family portraits, dozens of prints, and curiosities such as the key to the French Bastille. By contrast, only close friends spent any time in the private spaces of the south wing, which contained George Washington’s study on the first floor and the Washingtons’ bedchamber on the second. Mayor of Philadelphia Samuel Powel observed this separation, noting that the privacy of these spaces was “absolutely requisite,” given “the perpetual & elegant Hospitality exercised here.”
Outside the house, visitors wandered the gardens and marveled at the Mansion’s prospect on a steep hill overlooking the Potomac River. Between 1785 and 1787, George Washington had overhauled the landscape around the Mansion to create a cohesive and beautiful design. The bowling green, serpentine paths, walled gardens, and strategically planted groves of trees created a “pleasure ground” for visitors, similar to what could be found at an English country house, though Washington had never
“[T]ransient persons, who call from curiosity … are treated with civility, but never interfere with the order of the house.”
—
Elizabeth Ambler Carrington, guest
traveled there. Foreign visitors praised Washington’s efforts. “The whole upkeep,” effused Niemcewicz of Poland, “proves that a man born with natural taste can divine the beautiful without having seen the model.”
Nearly every guest dined at least once with the Washingtons, whether for breakfast at 7 a.m., dinner at 3 p.m., or tea at 7 p.m. (See story, page 20.)
Bedroom hierarchy
At the close of the evening, overnight guests retired to one of the Mansion’s 10 bedrooms available for visitor use. The Washingtons likely placed highly esteemed visitors in the Yellow Room, which boasted an expensive coordinated
The Mansion’s piazza offered the perfect setting for elaborate summertime teas, as captured in this 1796 watercolor of the Washington family.
suite of furniture and curtains that George Washington had ordered from England in 1758. Less prominent visitors may have found themselves in the adjacent Small Room, which held a modest bedstead and no fireplace, or the first-floor Old Chamber, which was situated off the Central Passage and lacked the privacy of the upstairs rooms. (See story, page 28.)
The exact location where most guests stayed remains a mystery, with one notable exception. When the Marquis de Lafayette visited Mount Vernon for the only time in 1784, he stayed in the bedroom on the northeast corner of the second floor. Thereafter, the room became associated with him. The Washingtons hung their 1779 Charles Willson Peale portrait of Lafayette on the wall, and even 12 years later referred to it as “the room the Marques Delafiat Lodged In.”
While in the Washingtons’ company, guests could expect to have all their regular needs met. Niemcewicz declared, “I was not as a stranger but a member of the family in this estimable house. They took care of me, of my linen, of my clothes, etc.” While the Washingtons handled the social side of hosting, the labor of hospitality fell to Mount Vernon’s army of household staff, almost all enslaved. In the 1790s, butler Frank Lee oversaw the dining room, while his wife Lucy and her fellow cook, Nathan, prepared elaborate meals in the detached kitchen. (See story, page 20). Housemaids, including Caroline Branham, Charlotte, and Molly, changed out bed linens, provided jugs of fresh water, lit fires and candles, filled bed warmers with hot coals, and emptied chamber pots in the morning. Laundresses, scullery maids, gardeners, grooms, and others contributed to the never-ending tasks associated with hosting so many visitors. Though few accounts reference these individuals directly, visitors’ descriptions of sumptuous meals, freshly made beds and manicured landscapes are testament to the ceaseless and skilled labor of the Washingtons’ enslaved staff.
In the morning, some guests joined George Washington for his daily ride, during which the General reveled in showing off farm improvements, such as the 16-sided threshing barn and updated gristmill, and his strategy for crop rotations. This circuit also revealed to visitors the larger scale of enslavement across the plantation. By 1799, more than 300 bondspeople lived at Mount Vernon, spread across five farms and a gristmill-distillery complex. American visitors, accustomed to chattel slavery, rarely commented on the practice, but foreigners were often fascinated and at times disturbed by the realities of plantation slavery.
Upon seeing an enslaved family’s cabin, Niemcewicz of Poland observed, “They are more miserable than the most miserable of the cottages of our peasants.” Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres (who would become king of France in 1830), devoted most of his diary from Mount Vernon to commentary on slavery and actually spoke with numerous enslaved people. “When they meet a white man, they greet him from a distance and with a low bow,” he observed, “and they often seem
A very special guest: In 1784, the Marquis de Lafayette (above) stayed in this second-floor bedroom (opposite) and wrote to his wife that he was “reveling in happiness” at again seeing Washington, his general and adopted father.
amazed that we return their greeting, for no one here does so.” Isaac Weld included a lengthy footnote in his published travelogue lamenting the existence of slavery in a nation founded on freedom, predicting, “[N]egroes will not remain deaf to the inviting call of liberty forever.” None of these guests were likely aware of Washington’s ambivalence about slavery and plans to ultimately free his slaves, a topic he discussed with only his closest friends.
Private virtue
When Elkanah Watson visited Mount Vernon in January 1785, he suffered from a bad cold with “excessive coughing.” He demurred when George Washington offered him some remedy, instead retiring to bed, where his coughing grew worse. “When some time had elapsed,” Watson recalled, “the door of my room gently opened, and on drawing my bed-curtains, to my utter astonishment, I beheld Washington himself, standing at my bed-side, with a bowl
of hot tea in his hand.” In another context, this incident would not be so remarkable, Watson continued, “but as a trait of the benevolence and private virtue of Washington, it deserves to be recorded.”
Indeed, however frustrated Washington sometimes felt about opening his home to visitors, he remained a gracious and thoughtful host. He understood that his domestic life had become part of his public legacy, with Mount Vernon—the place to which he returned after twice giving up power—a tangible symbol of his heroic leadership. And visitors never forgot their experiences being hosted by the Washingtons. As Elkanah Watson reflected, “To have communed with such a man in the bosom of his family, I shall always regard as one of the highest privileges, and most cherished incidents of my life.”
Jessie MacLeod served on Mount Vernon’s curatorial staff from 2012 to 2023.
Invitation to
Martha Washington (pictured in a miniature portrait) always made sure guests felt welcome and were offered refreshment.
The Washingtons served ketchups and dressings in this elegant cruet stand (opposite)
Dine
Guests who dined at Mount Vernon were often treated to a splendid table, prepared by enslaved cooks directed by Martha Washington
By Mary V. Thompson
On February 4, 1799, a young Joshua Brookes recorded dining at Mount Vernon on the following menu: “D.[inner] G. Washington. Leg [of] boil[ed] pork, top [at head of table]; goose, bot [at foot of table]; roast beef, round cold boil[ed] beef, mutton chops, hommony [sic], cabbage, potatoes, pickles, fried tripe, onions, etc. Table cloth [sic] wiped [crumbs brushed off], mince pies, tarts, cheese; cloth of[f], port, Madeira, two kinds [of] nuts, apples, raisins. Three servants.” Two years earlier, another guest, Amariah Frost, noted that on June 26, 1797, he and his party were served a “very good dinner,” which included, “a small roasted pigg [sic], boiled leg of lamb, roasted fowles [sic], beef, peas, lettice [sic], cucumbers, artichokes, etc., puddings, tarts, etc., etc. We were desired to call for what drink we chose.”
Of the many guests hosted by the Washingtons over the 40 years of George and Martha’s marriage, few took the time to record what they were fed by their hosts. In addition to these two descriptions of dinners at Mount Vernon (generally served at 3 p.m., except on Sundays, when dinner was ready by 2 p.m. in order for the kitchen staff to have the rest of the afternoon off), there appear
to be only four other surviving descriptions of dinners in the Washington household: two from Washington’s military headquarters during the Revolution and another two recording dinners at the presidential mansion.
According to English agronomist Charles Varlo, writing in the fall of 1784, “The General’s house is open to poor travellers [sic] as well as rich; he gives diet and lodging to all that come that way….” What was the dining experience of visitors, and how did the residents manage to feed the numerous people who came out of love or friendship or curiosity to see the Washingtons? Since dining is as large a part of hospitality today as it was in the 18th century, it is one of the most fascinating aspects of life at the estate to explore.
Head of the table
Guests were naturally eager to dine with Washington, a sometimes reluctant host (See story, page 12). The tenor of such meals varied considerably depending on Washington’s mood and how well he knew his guests. “There was very little conversation at dinner,” architect Benjamin Latrobe reported, “I felt a little embarrassed at the silent reserved air that prevailed.” By contrast,
Despite George Washington’s occasional reluctance, the Washingtons often hosted many guests at Mount Vernon, including neighbors. Clockwise from top: an invitation in Mrs. Washington’s hand to their neighbors, the Porters, from 1788; a re-created plate of pancakes topped with stewed fruit; a dessert pyramid holding sweet, colorful jellies; a side dish of cooked mushrooms; and an elegant setting in the Dining Room.
Robert Hunter observed a more relaxed and uninhibited Washington: “The General with a few glasses of champagne got quite merry, and being with his intimate friends laughed and talked a good deal.”
If he was inclined, mealtimes and the hours afterward provided a relaxed atmosphere for Washington to talk with guests about his interests. “He loves to chat after dinner with a glass of Madeira in his hand,” reported Polish visitor Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz. Washington often used such conversations to promote his views on the nation’s future, advocating for agricultural improvements, a canal system, and a national university. But he was also willing to wax nostalgic. Elizabeth Carrington recalled that Washington and Colonel Edward Carrington stayed up well past midnight reminiscing about the war days of the American Revolution.
After dinner, some guests were also treated to Martha Washington’s granddaughter, Nelly Custis, playing the harpsichord and singing in the Little Parlor. Nelly’s beauty and talents enraptured many of the Washingtons’ male guests. Latrobe rhapsodized, “Miss Eleanor Custis … has more perfection of form of expression, of color, of softness,
Hospitable home: Guests might have enjoyed tea and pastries on the Mansion’s piazza (opposite) or a tune played on the harpsichord in the Little Parlor by Martha Washington’s granddaughter Nelly Custis (above).
Cooking by the Book
In feeding guests, Martha Washington had at least two cookbooks available to her. One, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, by Hannah Glasse, was a popular English cookbook of the period (left), while the other was a manuscript cookbook, handed down by several generations of women in the family of her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis, and inherited by her upon their marriage in 1750. In addition to being able to read these books, Martha may well have read recipes from them out loud to the enslaved cooks. Like other women, both then and today, she likely exchanged recipes with friends and neighbors, as well. Another manuscript cookbook, which came down in a branch of Thomas Jefferson’s family, contains a number of recipes attributed to Mrs. Washington, and two similar manuscripts, kept by Martha’s granddaughter, Nelly Custis Lewis, and by her great-granddaughter, Mary Anna Custis Lee (the wife of Robert E. Lee), testify to the practice of trading recipes for everything from desserts to medical potions. Several of these loose recipes survive to this day.
and of firmness of mind than I have ever seen before.” Niemcewicz proclaimed, “[S]he plays the harpsichord, sings, draws better than any woman in America or even in Europe.” Nelly’s eventual marriage to Lawrence Lewis on February 22, 1799, saw the Washingtons’ most sustained stint of hosting, with nearly two weeks straight of dinner parties featuring a dozen or more guests.
The table setting
Over the years, the Washingtons accumulated several china services, both as purchases and as gifts. They bought a large amount of Chinese export blue and white china in several patterns over many years. These were likely the family’s everyday dishes, as indicated by the description of the items following Martha Washington’s death in 1802: “... the blew [sic] and white china in common use.” There were other, fancier sets. A particularly distinctive set of Chinese export porcelain, which included both tea- and dinnerware, decorated with the insignia of the Society of the Cincinnati, had been purchased by George Washington in the years between the end of the Revolution and the
beginning of his presidency. Another set of Chinese tea china, given to Martha by a Dutch merchant in 1796, became known as the States china; it was surrounded by the names of the then 15 U.S. states, and decorated with Martha Washington’s initials. Julian Niemcewicz, who spent about two weeks at Mount Vernon in June 1798 and became a favorite of the family, was given a cup from the States service by Martha as a memento.
A particularly beautiful tea and coffee service was given to Martha Washington by a French general, the Comte de Custine-Sarreck, in the summer of 1782. Custine owned a porcelain factory in France, where the set was made and decorated with George Washington’s initials floating on a cloud and crowned with a wreath of roses. Martha Washington made presents of pieces from this lovely service to family members, friends, and visitors during her lifetime, including a cream jug, which she gave to Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison.
One of the largest china services owned by the Washingtons was purchased early in George Washington’s presidency from a departing French
diplomat. The 309-piece service featured plain white china decorated with a gilded border around the edges. This set was often used during both George Washington’s Thursday afternoon dinners for members of Congress and also for Martha Washington’s Friday evening receptions in the presidential mansions in New York and Philadelphia. The service was brought back to Mount Vernon at the end of Washington’s presidency.
Directorial duties
Carrying out the duties associated with looking after visiting relatives, friends, neighbors, and strangers would have fallen especially to Martha Washington and to the enslaved staff who fell under her supervision. As the wife of one of the richest and most prominent men in British North America, Martha Washington may never have had to cook anything. She had many servants, both hired and enslaved, to take care of the actual preparation of meals. She would have found it necessary, however, to be familiar with all aspects of food preparation and service, so that she could supervise activities in her kitchen, larder, dairy, smokehouse, kitchen garden, and dining
room. For a holiday or for important guests, Martha may also have wanted to prepare something special herself. A wok-shaped copper vessel, which descended in the family of Martha Washington’s second granddaughter, Martha Parke Custis Peter, with the tradition that it had been “used by Mrs. Washington herself,” to preserve fruits, may be physical evidence of this.
The labor of the enslaved
For many years, the person responsible for preparing meals was an enslaved cook named Doll, who was about a decade older than Martha. The two women would have first gotten to know one another after Martha’s marriage to Daniel Parke Custis in 1750. Following Daniel’s death and Martha’s marriage to George Washington, both she and Doll moved to Mount Vernon in the spring of 1759. Over the course of their four decades together, the two women would have worked very closely, going over menus and recipes and the food items ready for picking and preserving in the kitchen garden and stored in the Mansion basement. (See story, page 34.)
Several other members of Doll’s family were involved
Best china: A tea bowl (above left) gifted to the Washingtons by the Comte de Custine-Sarreck ahead of a visit to Mount Vernon. A plate (above right) was part of “a box of China for Lady Washington” from a Dutch merchant. The decoration symbolizes the unity of the colonies.
with hospitality at the estate. As Doll aged, her daughter, Lucy, took over as one of the cooks in the detached kitchen, along with Hercules Posey and a man named Nathan. Lucy’s husband, Frank Lee, served as the butler, overseeing the dining room. It was a job requiring him to constantly look after the needs of guests, while also ensuring that everything, from the cleanliness of the Mansion rooms to the available supplies of alcohol, was always ready for an influx of visitors. Waiters Marcus and Christopher Sheels served the Washingtons and guests in the dining room while wearing the white-and-red livery of the Washington family. Specifically in regard to the china and glassware used in the Mansion, Martha once directed her niece, Fanny, to ensure that Frank Lee had “all the chinia [sic] looked over, the [c]loset Cl[e]aned and the Glasses all washed and every thing in the Close[t] as Cl[e]an as can be th[e]n they will be ready when wanted with much less troabble [sic] than to have them to look for when ever in hurry they maye [sic] be wanted.” In another letter, she asked that Frank and his staff clean everything weekly, so that things would always be ready for use.
As the Washingtons themselves aged, the care and
entertainment of the many people who came to see Mount Vernon fell to younger relatives. Shortly after the family returned to Mount Vernon after Washington’s presidency, granddaughter Nelly reported to a friend in Philadelphia that “I am also deputy Housekeeper, in which employment I expect to improve much, as I am very partial to it.” Sometimes, however, those visitors were even too much for an enthusiastic younger person. Not long afterward, Nelly reported to that same friend that two “homely” Spanish gentlemen had recently come to Mount Vernon. “They neither of them speak English or understand it” and one of them could only speak “very bad French.” They only stayed one night on the estate, and Nelly tried for more than an hour to entertain them by playing music and singing, but concluded that the attempt was a failure, commenting that “Music had not charms sufficient to soothe their savage breasts.”
Mary V. Thompson has had a long career with Mount Vernon and currently serves as a research historian emerita, pursuing several long-term research projects.
Not too regal: An understated elegance characterized Washington’s aesthetic. This saucière (above left) is part of a service purchased from a French diplomat. This sugar bowl (above right) features a simplified version of the Society of the Cincinnati’s insignia.
Changing Room
Years of investigations have led to the refurnishing and reopening of the Mansion’s Old Chamber
By Amanda Isaac
This multifunctional room on the main floor was first used as a private retreat for Martha Washington. In later years, it was a bedroom for guests.
On a cold Saturday in December 1787, hired carpenter Thomas Green stopped by the Mount Vernon storehouse to pick up twine and tacks “to put up a bed & curtains in the old Chamb[er],” on the Mansion’s first floor. Farm manager George Augustine Washington, a nephew of George Washington, entered this action in his ledger, a small but essential matter of housekeeping, and a gift to historians. Unpacking the significance of that moment was a key step in the multiyear investigation that led to the refurnishing and reopening of the Old Chamber in May 2024.
The 1787 reference to the Old Chamber is the earliest known use of that name. The fact that the room had become the “old” chamber indicated a significant change in its function.
Martha’s domain
In elite homes of the 18th-century Chesapeake region, the unmodified name “chamber” typically referred to a firstfloor space occupied by the lady of the house. The Virginia households of George and Ann Mason’s Gunston Hall,
south of Mount Vernon on the Potomac, and Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis’s Kenmore in Fredericksburg both exhibit this type of floor plan. (While such rooms were primarily considered the domain of the woman of the house, in practice they provided shared sleeping space for spouses except during periods of childbirth and illness.)
At Mount Vernon, it appears that Martha Washington used this space for this purpose from the time of her marriage in 1759 until 1775. The room would have served as not only her sleeping space, private retreat, and parlor for entertaining close friends, but also as a household administrative center. Its location also placed it at the center of the family’s social life, with guests being entertained in the adjoining dining room, passage, and parlor. The connecting door to the dining room offered ready access to oversee dinner preparations. The full-height wood paneling—an expensive finishing treatment—signaled the chamber’s importance in the life of the house, and paint analysis reveals that periodic updates to the color, from medium blue to gray, were made, according to changing tastes.
A large oil painting given to Washington by an English admirer is the Old Chamber’s only surviving original item (opposite). The period chairs chosen for the room were illustrated in a 1754 book by Thomas Chippendale (above).
In 1773, the Washingtons initiated plans to expand the house, adding a new, larger chamber for Mrs. Washington on the second floor of the south wing. This shift followed changing expectations for living arrangements, as elite couples in the Chesapeake increasingly moved such chambers to an upper floor or a wing at a distance from the main social spaces. Martha Washington likely began using this new chamber in the spring of 1776, after she returned from her stay at the Continental Army’s winter quarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The “Old Chamber” then became a guest room.
A neoclassical aesthetic
The room’s architecture and furnishings span the Washingtons’ years at Mount Vernon. Its wood paneling is the earliest in the house, likely installed in the 1740s by George’s half-brother Lawrence; it would have greeted Martha on her arrival. When the couple returned from the presidency in 1797, a coat of cream-colored paint introduced a neoclassical aesthetic. Recent preservation work included repainting the woodwork based on paint analysis, as well as repairing the ceiling and cleaning the floor.
The room’s only surviving original item is a large oil painting, sent to George Washington in 1785 by an English friend and admirer, Samuel Vaughan, who intended it to be installed in the New Room above the mantel that he had also presented. But when Washington returned from the presidency, he hung his new collection of American river scenes in the New Room, placing Vaughan’s gift in the Old Chamber—a striking contrast to the small prints of landscapes and historical and mythological scenes in other bedchambers.
The painting’s subject has long been elusive: Washington referred to it simply as “a Battle in Germany,” and his probate inventory listed it as “ a Battle fought by Cavalry.” In the mid-19th century, historian Benson Lossing identified it, without explanation, as the Battle of Minden (a 1759 conflict in Germany during the Seven Years’ War.)
Recent research reveals that the painting is likely the work of Jan van Huchtenburg, a Dutch artist specializing in battle scenes. A small version
of the same scene was spotted last year by Thomas Reinhart, Mount Vernon’s director of preservation, at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire, England. That version has been attributed to Huchtenburg, aligning with a partial signature noted on the Washingtons’ canvas during conservation in 2016. Huchtenburg’s death in 1733, as well as the specifics of the battle scene itself, preclude its being a depiction of the 1759 Battle of Minden; it likely depicts an earlier 18th-century conflict, or an imagined scene.
1770s bedroom fashion
According to probate inventories taken after the Washingtons’ deaths, the Old Chamber contained a typical bedroom suite for the time: a fully curtained high-post bedstead, a set of four chairs, a dressing table, and a looking glass. Many of these pieces were valued less than their second-floor counterparts, suggesting that the Old Chamber ranked lowest in the hierarchy of principal bedchambers. Its desirability likely declined as expectations for privacy rose, although its first-floor location may have made it ideal for guests with limited mobility.
As none of the originals are known, curators have represented them with period and reproduction items based on analysis of documentary references, visual evidence, and surviving counterparts. The bed and window curtains, printed in a dark purple, offer a glimpse of a 1770s aesthetic, representing a set of calico upholstery that George Washington purchased in 1774 from the Philadelphia upholstery shop of John and Betsy Ross (better known to history as a flag maker).
In the 1770s, the most popular colors for furnishing calicos were red, blue, and purple, printed on white. Even when printed on an inexpensive cotton, purple carried a sense of luxury, evoking heraldic associations with royalty, honor, and dignity. A 1769 room by Thomas Chippendale epitomized this taste, described as having purple wallpaper and “a bed with purple and white cotton furniture … lin[e]d with a pea green Persian … with a White fringe and green hangars.” On a more modest scale and closer to home, George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington, had a bedstead dressed with a “white Virginia cloth counterpane and purple curtains” in Fredericksburg.
A rare period “spider-leg” table and four side chairs stand in as examples of furnishings purchased by the Washingtons from the 1774 auction of Belvoir, the neighboring home of George William and Sally Fairfax.
“Spider-leg” is a period term inspired by the delicate eight legs of this small drop-leaf form, a movable, multipurpose occasional table used for reading, writing, sewing, taking tea, or dressing, when paired with a looking glass.
Finally, the Old Chamber was the only room in the entire Mansion recorded with interior Venetian blinds. Introduced to Europe by the 16th century, these had begun appearing in England and the colonies by the late 1750s. The use of blinds in the Old Chamber may have been driven by its location as a sleeping room on the east side of the first floor, next to the piazza. Blinds would have allowed occupants to adjust airflow, block the morning sun, and prevent unwanted attention from passersby. The reproductions are made to specifications given by Washington in his 1787 orders for blinds.
The refurnishing of the Old Chamber brings the major guest bedchambers at Mount Vernon up to date with recent research. Together, they offer visitors a sense of the varied interiors that 18th-century guests experienced, the strategic furnishing choices made by the Washingtons, and the labor of the enslaved and hired workers required to produce and maintain these accommodations.
Amanda Isaac is curator of fine and decorative arts at Mount Vernon.
Room decor: The Washingtons purchased a “spider-leg” table similar to this one at auction in 1774 (opposite). The shape and pattern of the Old Chamber’s curtains (above left) and valance are based on an 18th-century Philadelphia bedstead featuring a block-printed calico (above right).
The Fruits of Labor
NEW RESEARCH: How Mount Vernon archaeologists unearthed centuries-old bottles of fruit in the Mansion’s cellar
By Jason Boroughs
In the spring of 2024, Mount Vernon archaeologists excavating in the cellar of George Washington’s Mansion made a “blockbuster” discovery that made headlines around the country. Sealed beneath a brick floor that had been laid in the early years of the American Revolution, the archaeologists encountered a series of overlapping storage pits. As the dense clay fill was excavated from each rectangular pit, iridescent green circular silhouettes slightly more than an inch in diameter—the mouths of 18th-century glass bottles—emerged from the earth one by one.
The archaeologists recovered a total of 35 bottles that had been carefully placed upright, side by side and intentionally buried under an earlier cellar floor between 1758 and the mid-1770s. Twenty-nine of the bottles remained intact and remarkably contained extraordinarily well-preserved cherries and berries, likely gooseberries and currants, that had been harvested
at Mount Vernon more than 250 years earlier. Incredibly, the cherries still bore the characteristic scent of cherry blossoms so familiar to residents of the region during the spring season.
The majority of the bottles contained liquid as well as intact fruit. A dozen corks were extracted along with the fruit, indicating that the bottles had been sealed before burial. Over time the corks dried out, causing them to shrink and fall into the bottles, at which point the slow percolation of groundwater, naturally filtered through the fine clay, filled the bottles. Mount Vernon is partnering with scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to analyze samples of the fruit and—perhaps most excitingly—to test the viability of recovered pits and seeds for potential germination.
So why were so many bottles of fruit buried beneath the cellar floor? And how did the fruit remain in such remarkable condition after a quarter millennium?
Surprising find: Archaeologists Nick Beard and Jason Boroughs work to extract one of the 14 bottles, still full of berries, from a subfloor pit in the Mansion cellar (above). The 18th-century glass bottles (opposite) were found buried in a series of pits, sometime between 1758 and the mid-1770s.
Historical accounts provide several clues. On a chilly November day in 1709, Virginia planter William Byrd wrote of a dinner at his cousin’s estate, “His wife was at home and gave us a good supper …. Then we had some cherries which had been … put in bottles without water in them. They were exceedingly good.” Cherries were harvested in early summer and typically would not last through late fall without some means of preservation. In a 1756 manuscript, Eliza Lucas Pinckney, a prominent plantation mistress in Charleston, South Carolina, recommended burying a variety of fruits and vegetables for long-term storage. To preserve gooseberries, she wrote, “[I]f you only put them into a dry Bottle and stop them close … and bury them they are as good as ever I tasted any.”
In May 1795, Martha Washington wrote from Philadelphia to her niece at Mount Vernon, in preparation for a summer visit by the presidential household: “I am very much obliged to you my dear Fanny for offering to preserve strawberry for me … should [there] be any [gooseberry]—I should wish to have some bottled … should think old Doll cannot have forgot how to do them.”
Doll, an enslaved cook, had been brought to Mount Vernon by Martha Washington nearly 40 years earlier in 1759 to take charge of the estate’s kitchen, a role to which she
was assigned for several decades, including the period in which the bottles of fruit recovered from the cellar were prepared and buried. Mrs. Washington’s letter suggests that Doll was familiar with the technique and, as head cook, likely oversaw the process. The astonishing longterm survival of the highly perishable fruit is a testament to the skill and knowledge of Doll and the enslaved people who managed food preparations from tree to table.
The predecessor of modern home canning, these techniques were intended to preserve fruit harvested in the summer for consumption in the off-season, until the process began anew with the next harvest. Storage below ground provided stable, cool, and nearly airtight conditions, a method that has proved effective. The bottled fruit was almost certainly intended for the Washingtons’ table and may have been eaten simply from the bottle or baked into a variety of confections. Many bottles were removed from the storage pits over time, even as others were deposited in subsequent harvest seasons.
Fortunately for us, not all of the bottles made the short trip from the cellar to the Mansion’s dining room.
Jason Boroughs, PhD, is the principal archaeologist at Mount Vernon.
Remarkably, the still-plump flesh of the fruit could be seen in the mouth of one bottle as it was being emptied for study (above left). In other instances the flesh had become separated from the pits; scientists collected dozens of cherry pits in a sterile sample tube (above right).
The rough, opaque coating that appears to be flaking off this conserved bottle is actually the outermost glass layer that has broken down.
A Closer Look
OBJECT SPOTLIGHT : The 18th-century bottles were handblown and mass-produced
Researchers are just beginning to examine the bottles and their contents, but some information is already known. Bottle glass is one of the most commonly found artifacts on 18th-century archaeological sites, and tens of thousands of fragments have been recovered at Mount Vernon. Here are six facts about the recently unearthed objects.
Running count: Thus far, 35 glass wine bottles have been found, of which 29 were intact. Bottles of olive-green glass were used extensively in the 17th and 18th centuries for many purposes, including holding wine, beer, and water, as well as for such activities as preserving fruits.
Purchase order: Hundreds of bottles were purchased by George Washington for use at Mount Vernon. In 1762 alone, he purchased from London “12 dozn fine old Porter bottled … 41 dozn of Bottls [beer] … 4 Gallon Rhenish Wine … Pint Bottles … 3 Gallons Canary Wine … pint Bottles.”
Mass production: Bottles were handblown in European and domestic factories. Teams of glass blowers in a single factory could produce 50,000 to 100,000 bottles annually.
Variations on a theme: While each handmade bottle from the cellar was unique, all are typical of bottles made in the 1740–1760s, with a cylindrical body, sloping shoulders, and a tapering neck.
Then sturdy, now fragile: After being buried and exposed to water for 250 years, the glass of these bottles is breaking down. The conditions have caused layers of glass to flake away. Mount Vernon is collaborating with conservators at Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation to stabilize the bottles.
On future display: In 2026, visitors will be able to view some of the 18th-century bottles up close at Mount Vernon’s new exhibit about George Washington.
—Lily Carhart, curator of preservation collections
Living by the Rules
A first-grade teacher imparts important life lessons to his students
An alumnus of the George Washington Teacher Institute, William Ford grew up with a passion for history, which he shares with his first graders in western Pennsylvania’s Grove City school district. The longtime educator discussed his approach to imparting the lessons of George Washington to his young students.
You incorporate George Washington’s Rules of Civility in your instruction. How do you do that? I came across the book, George Washington’s Rules to Live By (Penguin Random House), which includes the original text that a young George copied down, possibly as a way to practice
his penmanship and to improve himself in society. At the beginning of a week, we might read and interpret one of the 110 rules. We then copy down that rule, translating it into our own contemporary language along with drawing a picture showing how it might be practiced. The rule is posted in the classroom, and as the week progresses we discuss when and where we might have had the opportunity to practice it in our lives at school and home.
Are the rules interesting to your students? Children find it fascinating to learn what life was like for previous generations. I strive to make this history real by making connections to modern expectations for students. The children truly enjoy listening to the rules read aloud in the language of the day and then trying to decipher what each one means. It’s great to see the looks of excitement and sometimes astonishment when they learn something new, especially in regard to what life would have been like for a child living in the 18th century.
Which of the rules resonate most with your first graders? Many find that the first and last rules hold the most importance because they are all-encompassing. These bookends are “Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present,” and “Labour to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.” Our elementary program stresses the importance of service beyond one’s self. Each year, we attempt to impact our school and local community by taking on a service project that is chosen by the students. It is my hope that Washington’s sense of duty inspires the children in my classes to carry these two rules beyond our classroom and along their life’s journey.
In what ways do these lessons pique your students’ interest in history, and in George Washington and the founding era in particular? Many of my students use the school library to check out books on George Washington and other historical topics we discuss throughout the year. I have also received positive
feedback from parents in regard to dinnertime conversations surrounding the Rules of Civility taught in school, as well as the children’s desire to share the many interesting facts they pick up from our class discussions on the country’s most indispensable founding father. H
William Ford (above and opposite), a first-grade teacher in western Pennsylvania, uses Washington’s Rules of Civility to bridge past and present.
Spirited Affair
Mount Vernon’s signature fall event draws an enthusiastic crowd
Spirits were high at the 23rd annual Spirit of Mount Vernon sunset reception and dinner as more than 750 guests from the corporate, trade association, and government affairs consulting communities, along with policymakers from Congress and the White House, celebrated the leadership of George Washington.
The event, held on the Mansion’s east lawn on October 3, raised more than $1 million for Mount Vernon’s education and preservation mission.
As the country prepares for its 250th anniversary of independence, the event unified guests in an appreciation of the nation’s foundation and steadfast commitment to democracy. Guest speakers Carly Fiorina, national honorary chair of the Virginia 250 Commission, and Carlos Del Toro, secretary of the U.S. Navy, provided remarks. The Marine Drum and Bugle Corps performed.
The Ford Motor Company served once again as the
event’s presenting sponsor. The evening featured a sunset reception, a whiskey-tasting bar hosted by the Distilled Spirits Council, dinner, fireworks, and a live auction that raised $89,000.
The event’s co-chairs included Chester “Chip” Davis, Jr., president and CEO of Healthcare Distribution Alliance; Matthew Haller, president and CEO of International Franchise Association; Katherine Lugar, vice president of corporate affairs at Hilton; and Peter Rowan, vice president, U.S. public affairs at Mars, Inc. H
Reception overlooking the Potomac (opposite); Carly Fiorina and Mary Lang Bishop, Vice Regent for Oregon (left); Kevin Keane and guests of the American Beverage Association (right); guests at the Americans for Prosperity table join in the huzzahs (below); Mount Vernon’s Douglas Bradburn with event co-chairs Matt Haller, Katherine Lugar, Chip Davis, and Peter Rowan (bottom right).
At the President’s Table (left) are, standing: Gen. John F. Kelly, Mount Vernon’s president and CEO Douglas Bradburn, Shelly O’Neill Stoneman, Jason Stoneman, Carly Fiorina, and Frank Fiorina, and seated: Karen Kelly, Betty Del Toro, Secretary Carlos Del Toro, and Nadene Bradburn.
Marquee Event
The Life Guard Society hosts a “Fete to Lafayette”
In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette, who had commanded troops under George Washington, embarked on a triumphant return tour of the United States. This visit rekindled the unifying spirit of the American Revolution and celebrated the enduring bond between France and the United States.
A deeply moving highlight of that 1824 visit was Lafayette’s stop at Mount Vernon, where on October 17, he paid his respects at the Tomb of George Washington, a figure he cherished as a dear friend and considered an adoptive father.
On October 17, 2024 —200 years later to the day— the Life Guard Society of Mount Vernon commemorated that historic moment with a prestigious black-tie gala, hosting 385 distinguished guests on the estate. They were welcomed by the re-created First Virginia Regiment and called to dinner with artillery salutes to echo the enthusiastic welcome the Marquis de Lafayette received upon his arrival in Alexandria 200 years ago. Guests
engaged with a Lafayette reenactor and enjoyed dancing and fireworks after dinner.
The “Fete to Lafayette” celebrated not only an important historic event but also the spirit of friendship and unity. The gala broke records and raised more than $1 million to support the revitalization of the Mansion. H
Clockwise from opposite top: The First Virginia Regiment issues the call to dinner; Kim David, chair of the Life Guard Society, gives remarks and leads a huzzah to the Ladies; a Lafayette reenactor speaks at the Old Tomb; guests join in a festive toast; bottles of a special peach brandy released by Mount Vernon in honor of Lafayette.
Meal Stop
Where visitors to Mount Vernon ate in the late 1890s and early 1900s
Feeding hungry tourists is serious business. In the 1870s, the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association undertook that challenge by providing a “lunch table” in the kitchen building adjacent to the Mansion. By 1883, however, preparing meals proved unsustainable due to insufficient staffing and space. Fortunately, a nearby neighbor seized the opportunity to open an eatery adjacent to the property line, just a few yards away from the main entrance to Mount Vernon. The Gibbs family were New Jersey Quakers who moved to the area in 1852, and by 1872 they lived on a farm just a mile from the estate. As noted on the sign in the photograph, J. Norman Gibbs (seated in the foreground) was the first proprietor to establish lunch service in 1884. By 1893, the MVLA had banned picnicking on the grounds, which only served to redirect even more customers to the Mt. Vernon Lunch Room. Becoming a family affair, what started with J. Norman Gibbs was continued by his sisterin-law and his nephew’s family as they maintained a presence selling concessions and souvenirs. They eventually managed a tea room and ticketing office for the electric railway until the George Washington Parkway was built in 1932. Today, visitors can enjoy classic American favorites at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant or quick meals at the Food Court. H
The Mt. Vernon Lunch Room offers visitors a bite to eat, circa 1900.
...we were received by the General and his family with great freedom and politeness, at the same time without any ceremonious parade.
Olney Winsor, 1788
P.O. Box 110, Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121