Sunday, September 3, 2017

George Washington's Mount Vernon - Part 1

Saturday, August 26, 2017 

George's Washington's Mt. Vernon estate is 500 acres, on the banks of the Potomac River, in Virginia. It was a two story home and he added to each side of it. If you look at the pictures the front door is not centered because of the way he added to the house. Off each side are colonnades that offered a covered walkway from the kitchen and the servant's hall. The other outbuildings on the property are: seed house, greenhouse, men and women's slave quarters, stove room, blacksmith shop, overseer's quarters, spinning house, salt house, gardener's house, storehouse and clerk's quarters, smokehouse, wash house, coach house, stable, dung repository (compost), and ice house. As with most historical sites we have visited, it was a lot of walking, but it was a nice day to do it.

Outside of Mansion



George Washington had the weathervane made especially for him.
It is a "dove of peace" with an olive branch in it's beak.

The back of the mansion.

Porch on the back of the mansion, facing the Potomac.
The dung repository - colonial composting

Most of the outbuildings look similar to these.

Carriage House


This is a riding chair, apparently much easier to  ride in.

Kitchen - see the fire pokers above? At the opposite end is a rendering room for animals.
They ask that we not take pictures inside, but Greg ask if he could this room as there were
not many people around.


The view from the porch.


George and Martha Washington's Tomb