Mt. Vernon--the home of George and Martha Washington.Contrary to popular belief, this is the back of the estate. The front of the home faces the Potomac and features a piazza the length of the house where family and guests could sit in the afternoon shade and enjoy the view.
Fourteen miles south of Washington, D.C., on a beautiful stretch of the Potomac River, lies the estate and plantation of George Washington, General of the Continental Army and First President of the United States. Called Mt. Vernon, the estate is open to visitors year-round except Christmas Day. Tickets are $13 for adults, and worth every single penny.
About a year ago, the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association, which oversees the estate and grounds, opened a new visitor's center with an education center and a museum. Over the next week or so, I'll feature some pictures from each of these new additions. If you live in the area and haven't been to Mt. Vernon ever or if it's been a while since you were last there, jump in the car and head down. Now not only can you see the home Gen. and Mrs. Washington lived in and called home, but you can also see what Washington looked like at 19, 45, and 51 thanks to the wonders of forensic technology. You can also see his dentures enshrined in Hope-Diamond-like style and reverence!
Here's a tidbit that will blow you away. In the first year after Mr. Washington left the Presidency, he and Mrs. Washington had 655 people visit them at Mt. Vernon! And those were just the guests in the main house! That doesn't include their guests' servants and slaves. So much for a quiet retirement. Sadly, Washington only enjoyed Mt. Vernon for two years after leaving the Presidency. He died in 1799 after contracting a sore throat and suffocating.
Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/07
5 comments:
There is just no end to the wonderful photo opportunities in DC!
Sandollar: Welcome! And what you say is so true. My challenge is making a point of finding photo opps of more than just the regular icons! Still, the stuff that makes Washington Washington is also a lot of fun to photograph!
In my opinion, you've succeeded -- in finding more than just the regular icons, and of freshening the standard ones with your own take.
I will be thrilled to see more of Mt. Vernon through your eyes. This is a completely silly reason to have a special interest, but one of my favorite books on decluttering and housecleaning sites Mt. Vernon as a method of cleaning. The author of The Messies Manual said she asked the housekeepers at Mt. Vernon how they kept such a big place clean. They answered that they started in a corner, worked their way around the room clockwise, cleaning everything top to bottom as they went. By the time they got around to the starting corner, it was time to clean again. (That part I didn't like. ha)
Wonderful photo. Keep 'em coming!
this site is a wonderful trip to Washington!
Debi: That's funny about cleaning ala Mt. Vernon! The day we were there, it was rather cold and very windy. We keenly felt the draftiness of the building and, as a result, I can imagine how dusty and dirty it must get!
Lara: Thank you! That is the best compliment I've had on this site. This is precisely why I started this blog: I wanted my friends, family, and visitors to be able to enjoy Washington from afar. (And that's what I enjoy about your site: it's a trip down memory lane and it's showing me a view of Romania, a country I wasn't able to visit when I lived in Austria!)
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