Overview of the house-museum of the first US President George Washington - the Mount Vernon estate, where Washington lived for 45 years and where he died and where his tomb is located.

We will also talk about how the ancestors of George Washington began their plantation activities, settling in Virginia in the 17th century, where (actually) Mount Vernon is located, and about their earlier estates and the plantation life of Virginia in the 17th-18th centuries. And a little more - about George Washington as a planter, leader and person.

The review was prepared, in particular, based on the materials of the Russian edition of the American official foreign broadcast "Voice of America" ​​of different years from the website archive.

Statue of George Washington American sculpture by Horatio Greenough (1805-1852).

Statue of George Washington American sculpture by Horatio Greenough (1805-1852). Horatio Greenough's wife was one of the members of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association (MVLA), thanks to which the Mount Vernon estate was saved and later became a museum.

As for the statue, this marble statue, made in 1832, depicts George Washington as the Greek god Zeus. It was commissioned by the US Congress to be placed in the building of the American Parliament - namely, in the Rotunda of the Capitol. However, the statue, after being made, was considered unsuitable because of Washington's attire, and two years after its arrival in Washington, namely in 1843, it was installed on the east lawn in front of the Capitol. Since 1908, it has been in the building of the Smithsonian Castle (Smithsonian Institution, as the American National Museum is called), and since 1964 it has been exhibited at the National Museum of American History, which is part of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

The composition of the statue includes a sword held by George Washington with the hilt forward, which symbolizes the transfer of all power to the people after the end of the war for US independence from Great Britain 1775-1783, in which Washington led the Continental Army (forces of supporters of independence).

Mount Vernon Estate: General Introduction

Mount Vernon Manor(Mount Vernon), in the state of Virginia, is located just 24 km from the US capital, Washington. Recall that the American capital was founded in 1791 on the capital Federal District of Columbia, allocated a few years earlier, on lands transferred from the states of Maryland and Virginia. In 1789, part of Fairfax County, where Mount Vernon is located, was transferred by the federal government to the District of Columbia as part of the District of Alexandria. Alexandria County was returned to Virginia in 1846. At the same time, Fairfax County returned to Virginia, later separated from Alexandria. At the same time, back in 1674, John Washington, great-great-great-grandfather of George Washington, the future first president of the United States, acquired land along the Potomac River, where Mount Vernon is now located. Then it was the period of the crown colony of Virginia, which is part of British North America, while Mount Vernon throughout the British and the coming American period belonged to the territory first of the colony, and then of the state of Virginia.

Plan of the manor house and estate of George Washington Mount Vernon.

• audio file #1

“Today we will have an excursion into the past of our country, associated with the name of its first president, George Washington. On April 13, 1789, while taking the oath of office as president of the country on the balcony of New York City Hall, Federal Hall on Wall Street, George Washington said:

“As is usually the case when something happens for the first time, we are setting a precedent today. And for my part, I sincerely want all our future precedents to be based on genuine principles.

His own motto throughout his life was the Latin saying exitus actaprobat, i.e. “the end sums up what has been done”, or “crowns what has been done”.

The sum total of George Washington's life was articulated by his compatriots and forever articulated in these words: "First in war, first in peacetime, first in the hearts of his compatriots." (The phrase "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen" was first uttered to the crowd at the funeral of George Washington in 1799, then a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Virginia and a former governor of that state and one of the former officers of the Continental Army that fought for the independence of the United States.Henry Lee III.Henry Lee III is also now known for being the father of Robert Lee, the commander of the pro-slavery Southern army in the subsequent approximately fifty years after the death of Washington in the Civil War in United States, site note).

More than a million people (the data is current and as of 2015. Note site) come annually to the Mount Vernon estate, to visit the house where for 45 years lived a man who was called and is called father of his country("father of his country"). And, before we begin our acquaintance with the Mount Vernon estate, we will give a little history that is most directly related to this estate.

“When we began to descend down the Potomac it was a marvelous moonlit night,” wrote Ann Pamela Cunningham (Ann Pamela Cunningham, years of life: 1816-1875) in 1853, from the age of seventeen, after falling from a horse chained to an invalid wheelchair, her mother is the mistress of the estate in South Carolina Louise Dalton Bird Cunningham (Louise Dalton Bird Cunningham). And she continued: "I went on deck at the moment when we sailed past Mount Vernon."

What Louise saw not only shocked her, she was shocked. Lawns overgrown with weeds in front of the house, peeling or completely shabby plaster of the facade, somehow supported by old ship's matches, a gallery running along the house. Complete desolation and ruin, suggesting almost mystical horror. How could it be that, while the men could not but take care to keep the house in order, the women of this country did not,” Lady Cunningham wrote to her cripple daughter.

This letter, with tears of motherly tears, made such a strong impression on Ann that she promised herself to devote the rest of her life to saving the house in which George Washington lived and died.

After the death of George Washington in 1799, the care of this estate passed from one of his relatives to another. When John Augustine Washington III became the fifth owner of the estate in the middle of the 19th century, it was quite obvious that something had to be done so that the Mount Vernon estate did not completely fall into decay. Understanding the historical value of Mount Vernon for the country, Washington's great-grandnephew tried to sell the estate first to the United States government and then to the Virginia authorities, but no other attempt was successful. Not the name of the funds for the maintenance of the estate - on the one hand, and, on the other hand, tired of the annoying tourists who "paid" for his hospitality conceived by taking souvenirs from home, and at the same time not wanting the estate to be ruined, John understood that the only way out was to place the fate of Mount Vernon in the hands of Ann Pamela Cunningham, whom he informed that he was ready to cede the estate for $200,000 in.

Despite the fact that the amount at that time was fabulous, Ann began to act with an energy that could hardly be suspected in a woman who had been confined to a wheelchair for twenty-one years. The first thing Ann Pamelie Cunningham did was to publish a letter in the Charleston Mercury (local) newspaper on December 2, 1853, signed the southern matron("southern matron"), calling on southern women to save Mount Vernon. Soon the letter was reprinted by other newspapers, and Ann Pamela Cunningham's appeal was heard by the women of the northern states as well.

It should be noted that if now no one is surprised by any public activity of women, then at that time the conversion of Ann Pamela Cunningham was a completely unheard of thing. It was not for nothing that the appeal placed in the above-mentioned Charleston newspaper had an anonymous signature, because the names of women at that time appeared in newspapers only in connection with reports of marriages or deaths.

Ann Pamelie Cunningham pioneered the historic preservation movement and founded the Mount Vernon Ladies Association (MVLA), which became official in 1856. In 1858, when the first meeting of the association was held, several influential people of that time joined the organization, including the wife of the famous American sculptor Horatio Greenough and banker George Wicks. Initially, the women who joined the association intended to raise money for the state of Virginia, so that the administration would take care of the Mount Vernon estate. But when it became clear that the state had no intention of taking over these functions, Cunningham and other members of the Association to Save Mount Vernon began to raise money to purchase the estate themselves.

What these women did not do to organize fundraising: arranged concerts and balls, sold copies of the famous portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (Gilbert Charles Stuart, years of life: 1755-1828) for a dollar per copy; involved in the work of the famous speaker Edward Everett (Edward Everett, years of life: 1794-1865, by that time retired, before that he had been a congressman, governor, ambassador and US secretary of state in different years. Approx. site), who read one hundred and twenty nine lectures entitled George Washington, Builder of the Union("George Washington, Builder of the Union"). These lectures raised sixty-nine thousand dollars. There was practically no means to which they did not resort to raise the necessary sums for the purchase of the Mount Vernon estate. Donations of fifty cents were even accepted. And the goal would have been achieved: on August 6, 1858, John Augustine Washington III signed a contract according to which the association agreed to buy the estate for the aforementioned 200 thousand dollars. On February 22, 1860, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association (MVLA) became the owner of George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. (Until now, as of 2015, Mount Vernon Manor belongs to this very Association of Mount Vernon Women - Mount Vernon Ladies Association - MVLA. The official website of the house-museum mountvernon.org (English only) also belongs to this Association .. Note..

Collective portrait of the first board members of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association (MVLA).

Among them, the leader of this organization (sitting, fourth from the right) is Ann Pamela Cunningham (Ann Pamela Cunningham, years of life: 1816-1875.).

“(So), George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, saved by the efforts of Ann Pamela Cunningham, who founded the Mount Vernon Ladies Association (MVLA), the first organization in the United States that launched the movement to preserve America's cultural and historical monuments.

“No estate in our country can compare with Mount Vernon in terms of success and pleasantness of location,” George Washington liked to repeat. Let us clarify, when from the high hill on which the president's house stands, an amazing park opens up to the eye, descending to the shore of the Potomac on its Virginia side, and its picturesque opposite coast, which already belongs to the state of Maryland, a statement of the president, which at first glance may seem too categorical, it becomes absolutely understandable and justified.

The estate, originally named Little Hunting Creek Plantation, was granted to George Washington's great-great-grandfather John Washington in 1674. When it passed many years later to George's half-brother Lawrence, he named it after the British admiral Edward Vernon, under whom he served. As for the first part of the name Mount (Mount), it means a hill or a hill, which corresponds to the true state of things. Having become the owner of Mount Vernon after the death of his brother, George Washington completed and rebuilt the mansion for several decades.

Expanding his land holdings, originally owned by 2,000 acres of land, Washington skillfully combined aesthetic and practical elements in their planning. According to his personal design, 8000 acres of parks were laid out with tennis alleys, lawns and groves, winding paths and playgrounds. Gardens and farmlands have been planned and utility rooms built. At the same time, almost everything that was necessary for existence was grown and grown, bred and fed, etc. on the estate. In other words, Mount Vernon was self-sustaining. And it is characteristic that although the working part of the property comes close to the mansion, it was invented by Washington in such a way that it does not violate the charm and beauty of the park, ”the station noted in its broadcast.

The "Small Dining Room", also known as the "Green Room", in the manor house of the Mount Vernon estate.

“When George Washington became the owner of the house, there were only four rooms in it: a through gallery on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second. As a result of the expansion and improvement, the Mount Vernon mansion became one floor higher and was crowned with a towering dome with a spire, decorated with a snow-white weather vane in the form of a white dove, or dove of peace. According to Washington's personal design, a two-story arcade was built along the facade, where family and guests liked to gather on warm evenings to enjoy the cool wind blowing from the Potomac and the marvelous coastal panoramic.

As for the interior decoration of the house and all kinds of innovations, this process, which began a few years before the marriage of George Washington in 1759 to a young widow with two small children, continued until his death - in 1799.

“I confess that I would rather be at Mount Vernon in the company of one or two friends than any meeting with prominent statesmen or representatives of European powers” ​​is another statement by George Washington about the house in which he lived for 45 years and in which he died. And again, having been in the house, you fully understand what is behind this statement. The house in Mount Vernon was not only landscaped according to the tastes of its inhabitants, Washington himself was directly involved in the redevelopment of the mansion and the choice of interior details.

The first work to expand the mansion at Mount Vernon lasted from 1757 to 1759. According to Washington's plan, the central lobby of the house was assigned a dual role. It was not just a front entrance, but a spacious and elegant foyer, which also had an exit from the back of the house, i.e. going through - from the front door and through the whole house, in the hot summer months was a real paradise, thanks to the natural ventilation that occurred when the doors were opened overlooking the Potomac and, on the opposite side, to pastoral idyllic lawns bowling green. This centerpiece of a house in Mount Vernon is a classic example of eighteenth-century Virginian architecture, one of its most elegant features being a graceful walnut staircase that replaces the otherwise ordinary one.

Washington, distinguished not only by excellent taste, but also by extreme practicality, found a second use for the old staircase. Now they would say that he resurfaced this staircase, connecting it with the second floor with the built-on third.

About guests. After the end of the revolution, General Washington and his wife often received guests at the Mount Vernon estate, and the receptions were held in the so-called. "Large Dining Room" (also known as "Banquet Hall" and "New Room". Approx. Site), from where sometimes, when dancing was held, the most bulky furniture was taken out. I must say that the general and his wife danced a lot and willingly. References to these receptions can be found in the diaries of those who were honored to be invited to the Mount Vernon estate.

The taste of George Washington was manifested in all the details of the decoration of the "Great Dining Room" and, above all, in its color scheme. Green was Washington's favorite color, and in the Grand Dining Room, green is delightfully clean, one might say, "ringing green", creating a festive high spirits. Personally, he, Washington, found in one of the books of that time a drawing of a Palladian window (Venetian (Palladian) window - a wide, three-part arched window Note site), and he also ordered twenty-four chairs and two sideboards for the dining room from the famous Philadelphia cabinetmaker John Aitken. The paintings that adorn the walls of the Grand Dining Room are also chosen by George Washington. Basically, it is landscape and genre painting.

Work on the improvement of this banquet hall, which began in 1774, was fully completed only in 1788. But the game, as they say, was worth the candle - this hall became the most beautiful and representative part of the Mount Vernon mansion.

But perhaps the most important thing is not what this hall looks like, but what its walls were a witness to. Here, on April 14, 1789, the history of the American presidency began when Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress, announced to George Washington that he had been unanimously chosen as the first President of the United States.

Ten years later, America mourned the passing of its first president. For three days, the Americans went to that room (and this was the “Big Dining Room” mentioned above. Approx. site), where his body rested, to say goodbye to their president. On December 14, 1799, Washington was buried in the family vault at Mount Vernon Manor.. “The first is in war, the first is in peacetime, the first is in the hearts of his compatriots,” the Russian broadcast of Voice of America broadcast in two programs in the early 1990s. from the series "Radio Journey Through America".

The Great Dining Room (also known as the Banqueting Room and the New Room) in the Mount Vernon manor house.

The photograph shows the furniture of the famous Philadelphia cabinetmaker John Aitken (John Aitken).

It was in this room that the history of the American presidency began on April 14, 1789, when Charles Thomson, Secretary of the United States Congress, announced to George Washington that he had been unanimously chosen as the first President of the United States. Also in this hall, for three days, the body of Washington was exhibited for farewell before burial, after his death on December 14, 1799.

George Washington's bedroom in the manor house of the Mount Vernon estate.

George Washington's bedroom in the manor house of the Mount Vernon estate. George Washington died in this room on December 14, 1799.

The tomb of George Washington and his wife Martha at Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon: Slaves of George Washington

Old reproduction of a painting painted in 1853

Old reproduction of a painting painted in 1853, from the series "The Life of George Washington. George Washington - the farmer "(Life of George Washington -The farmer) by the American artist Junius Brutus Stearns (Junius Brutus Stearns, years of life: 1810-1885). US Library of Congress.

This painting is the fantasy of an artist who lived after George Washington. In the picture, the artist depicted both the slaves of George Washington and the owner himself (on the right).

Further, we offer a message (in the transcript of the text of the site) of the television service of the Russian edition of the Voice of America dated 04/01/2011 about Mount Vernon from the point of view of the slave labor used there. The message aired in connection with the opening at the end of 2010 at the Mount Vernon estate for tourists to see the restored premises where the slaves of George Washington once lived, when he was the owner of this estate.

“In the days of George Washington, slavery was considered normal. At age 11, the future first US president inherited 10 slaves. And by the time of his death in 1799, more than 300 slaves lived in the Mount Vernon family estate. In 2011, their dwellings became the object of a thorough archaeological study and restoration. VOA correspondent Faiza Elmasry, having visited Mount Vernon, shares her impressions:

“The George Washington Mount Vernon House Museum is one of the most popular attractions in the American capital. Now visitors can get acquainted with the living conditions of the local slaves, their dwellings were opened to the public after a long restoration. Shortly after George Washington became president, he added large rooms to the greenhouse - they were divided into four large rooms, including one room for men and one for women. Each room was heated by a fireplace. Speaking at the opening ceremony (of the recreated former slave quarters at the Washington House Museum in Mount Vernon), archaeologist Dennis Pogue noted that the restoration work was preceded by twenty years of research. This made it possible to expand the exposition, now it presents reproductions of clothing and utensils: mugs and glasses, brooms and baskets used by slaves.

Says archaeologist Denis Pogue: “The excavations have given us abundant material. We found objects used by slaves, including earthenware platters with leftover food. We found many animal bones, and now we know that in addition to the meat of livestock and poultry, the slaves were also fed with the meat of wild animals, which was obtained by hunting.

These objects give an idea of ​​the life of slaves on the estate of the Washington family in Virginia (in other words, in Mount Vernon). Slaves worked on the farm, were servants, were engaged in farming.

Archaeologist Denis Pogue continues: “We have (historical) descriptions of their dwellings. Eyewitnesses call them huts, saying that nothing more terrible can be imagined. We are not going to whitewash this aspect of the story. Those who lived in the estate were slaves, and were the property of the owners. They worked hard and were absolutely powerless.”

Some items - a ceramic vase, a rag doll, a knitted hat - testify to the desire of some slaves to preserve the African heritage.

Several descendants of George Washington's slaves came to the opening of the museum's new premises. One of them is Rohulamin Quaander, a senior administrative judge in Washington and a direct descendant of the Mount Vernon slave Sukey Bay.

Rochulamine Kuander says: “For many years their names and destinies were forgotten, while the name of the man they worked for was glorified in history. We want to restore to these people who worked from dawn to dusk six or seven days a week. It was their work that allowed Washington to accomplish e achievements, which in the end benefited each of us.”

History teacher Beth Cayer brought her students to Mount Vernon. She asks them: "How many people slept in the room in the master's house at Mount Vernon, and how many in each room for slaves?" Accordingly, the answers of the students: "One, and twenty!".

The teacher says, “The ancestors of some of the students in my class were slaves. Therefore, they were very interested to know how the life of the slaves was different from today. It seems to me that what he saw made a strong impression on the students.

One of the tasks of the restorers was to show the hardships of the life of slaves. According to Gloria Alice Holmes, another descendant of Soka Bey, who took part in the opening ceremony of the museum, this goal was achieved.

Gloria Elyss-Holmes says: “Today it is raining, but it seems to me that these are the tears of slaves. Tears of slaves, they say thank you that you have not forgotten about us," concluded the message of the Russian television broadcast "Voice of America" ​​dated 04/01/2011;

On video: Message from 01/04/2011 TV service of the Russian edition of the US foreign broadcast "Voice of America" ​​on the topic of Mount Vernon from the point of view of slavery:

or alternative way to view:

Ancestors of George Washington and plantations in Virginia

“In 1657, an English merchant ship sailed up the Potomac River off Mattox Creek, and took on a cargo of tobacco. With this cargo, the ship ran aground in shallow water and sank. During the flight delay as a result of this incident, a young officer, John Washington, the great-great-great-grandfather of the future president, became friends with the family of Colonel Nathaniel Pope (Nathaniel Pope) and especially with his daughter Anne. When the ship was ready to sail, John Washington had already decided to stay here to marry Ann, and thus the Washington family tradition was started in the New World (and in Virginia), ”writes the website nps.gov, owned by the state National Park Service USA (National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior) and continues, talking further about how Washington's ancestors acquired land in America:

“The father of the bride gave the newlyweds a wedding gift of 700 acres of land in Mattox Creek (near the birthplace of the future first president - Wakefield Farm Approx. site). John Washington eventually expanded his land holdings to 10,000 hectares. In 1664, he moved with his family to his estate Bridges Creek (part of the future Wakefield Farm, now the George Washington Birthplace National Monument).

The son of John Washington (who died in 1677 at the age of 45) Lawrence, was born in 1659 and then inherited most of his father's property.

The son of Lawrence (who died in 1698 at the age of 39) and the future father of the first president Augustine Washington, born in 1694, in turn inherited the property after the death of his father, but over time acquired even more , including starting the development of iron ore on his site near Fredericksburg (Fredericksburg, also Virginia) and in parallel expanding the Pope's Creek plantation, the site notes. So, Pope's Creek plantation is a significant expansion of the original Bridges Creek estate (and the future Wakefield Farm). When his father Lawrence died, Augustine inherited about 1,000 acres in Bridges Creek and later bought land next door to Pope's Creek..

In turn, Augustine's sister Mildred inherited the family's other property, Little Hunting Creek, and they both inherited slaves. In 1726, Augustine bought Little Hunting Creek from his sister for £180.

“The land holdings of Augustine, according to which in Virginia the wealth of a person was estimated, by the time of his marriage occupied something about 700 hectares, by the end of his life he owned 4,000 hectares. Land speculation unexpectedly brought a new benefit - deposits of iron ore were discovered on his site near the village of Fredericksburg, ”wrote the Soviet researcher Yakovlev in his biography of Washington. The same author described the economic and social situation of Virginia at that time as follows:

“When George Washington was born, the British had been establishing their colonies on the continent of North America for a hundred and twenty-five years. The fact that the waters of the Chesapeake Bay washed virgin lands, the Virginians managed to forget. Plantations and settlements gradually moved westward, and in Washington's day the coastal developed strip was understood to mean the territories adjacent to the ocean and lying along the banks of the rivers (counting from north to south) Potomac, Rappahannock, York and James to the places where they were navigable. Of the total population of the colonies of the British crown in America - 600 thousand - 114 thousand fell to the share of the oldest of them, Virginia.

The developed lands in Virginia were approximately equal to the area of ​​England, and the resemblance to the metropolis was aggravated by the national composition of the colony. The white population so far consisted almost without exception of the British, who for various reasons left their homeland and conserved English antiquity in the New World. The metropolis changed dramatically - revolution, restoration, new trends and ideas. The customs and manners of the Virginians, protected by the Atlantic, froze in place. In many ways the Virginians were more British than the natives of the British Isles. The wealthy inhabitants of the colony, and they represented its public opinion, met the execution of Charles I with horror and indignation ...

Virginia had established itself as a safe haven for royalists during Cromwell's time, and with the Restoration (of the monarchy in Britain) the Virginians perked up. Political passions subsided in their homeland, matters were decided in favor of loyal subjects of the crown, and the Virginians, with a clear conscience, went about their business - the colonization of new lands in the interests of developing the peculiarly established economy of the colony.

In the lower reaches of the four major rivers of Virginia, the oldest plantations were located. Here, on a plain that stretched 100-120 kilometers to the west, since the time of the first settlers, tobacco has been cultivated mainly - the main crop of the colony. The planter usually owned several plots - the main one, usually adjacent to the river and where his house was, was cultivated under the direct supervision of the owner, others were leased to tenants. He could also own land in the uninhabited western regions, the border of which lay in those places where the plain turned into a hill, and the rapids on the rivers prevented navigation.

The exact boundaries of his possessions in the virgin lands, overgrown with forest and shrubs, the planter would find it difficult to indicate. Sometimes they were rented out to the Germans and Irish who were brought to America by the last waves of emigration, sometimes they were captured by squatters, but for the most part the western or border regions were empty - further on stretched the "no man's land", of course in the view of the planters.

A wealthy planter could own tens of thousands of hectares of land, which was cultivated by white tenants, "indentured servants" and Negro slaves. To believe that the economy of Virginia was based only on the labor of the latter would be a significant exaggeration. Not to mention the well-known productivity of slave labor, it is useful to remember the statistics: Negroes made up less than one third of the total population of the colony, ”wrote the Soviet author. Note that according to other estimates, in particular modern data, at that time, Negro slaves in Virginia accounted for at least 50% of the total population.

Returning to the family of Augustine Washington and his life, we note that in addition to tobacco, wheat was grown at Pope's Creek plantation, as well as gardens and raising livestock.

Augustine Washington was married twice. From his first marriage to Jane Butler, he had three children, Lawrence and Augustine Jr. and Jane, but only the sons survived adulthood.

Widowed at 36, Augustine married, a year after the death of his first wife, 22-year-old Mary Ball Washington. From his marriage to Mary Ball Washington, Augustine had six children, the eldest of whom was George Washington, the future president. So, George Washington was born in 1732 in the British crown colony of Virginia, (Virginia), on the tobacco farm Wakefield Farm (formerly known as Pope's Creek plantation), in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the family of a landowner who owned tobacco plantations and many slaves. He was the first son of Augustine Washington, who remarried to Mary Ball Washington.

And more about the ancestors of Washington and the place of his birth.

“The American ancestors of George Washington saw themselves primarily as planters, but they all also took part in the public service (colony) of Virginia, which strengthened their status as a planter and developed many social skills, such as the practice of public speaking, the habit of leadership and generosity. to others. At various times they served in Virginia as judges of local courts, officers in the militia - militia, sheriffs, participated in the activities of the parish councils of the local Anglican Church, ”notes the already mentioned state website nps.gov, owned by the National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior. The site indicates that the birthplace of Washington - Wakefield Farm, like the Mount Vernon estate, is also now a museum, but unlike Mount Vernon, it has been owned by the American state since 1880 (and is managed, just by the National Park Service).

The Wakefield Farm Museum includes a working colonial-style farm museum and the graves of Washington's ancestors (32 burials in total, including the tombs of George Washington's father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Speaking of the Wakefield Farm Museum - now the George Washington Birthplace National Memorial Monument) it is important to emphasize (and the mentioned resource nps.gov writes about this) that the ancestral home of George Washington, where he was born, in Wakefield Farm burned down in 1779.

“It was here, at Wakefield Farm, on February 22, 1732, that George Washington, the first son of Augustine Washington's second marriage, was born. Young George lived at Wakefield Farm until 1735, when his father moved the family to Little Hunting Creek Plantation, to land that would eventually be renamed Mount Vernon Manor. In 1738 the family moved again, this time to Ferry Farm, near Fredericksburg.

Recall that Wakefield Farm at the birth of George Washington was called differently - Pope's Creek plantation. In 1743, after the death of George Washington's father, she went to George Washington's half-brother Augustine Jr. In turn, Augustine Jr.'s son William, who succeeded him, renamed Pope's Creek plantation Wakefield Farm.

“William named the acquired estate Wakefield Farm, and William owned the house of this estate until the latter burned down on Christmas Day, 1779. In the fire, only one item was saved from the fire - a tea table, now on display at the Wakefield Farm Memorial House, nps.gov writes. The site indicates that it was built in 1930-1931. the current memorial house - the birthplace of George Washington is not a copy of the burnt original house, and therefore cannot be considered a special monument. The memorial house is a variation on the theme of the houses that were occupied by the upper classes of Virginia in the mid-1700s. And it's probably a little more elegant than the burnt original, which no images have been found and the exact location is unknown, the site notes.

George Washington - planter, leader and man

“When Augustine Washington died in 1743, the bulk of his estate went to two sons from his first marriage. At the same time, George Washington does not inherit any special wealth or land, but his father passed on to him the high status of the Washington family, as local nobles, and inspired a commitment to serving the state, nps.gov writes, and continues:

“Back in 1674, John Washington, George's great-great-great-grandfather, purchased land along the Potomac River, where Mount Vernon is now located. In 1726, Augustine, George's father, purchased the property and probably built the first phase of the present mansion. From about 1735 until 1738, Augustine and his family, including young George, lived here, when the estate was known as the Hunting Creek Plantation. In 1740, Augustine signed off the estate to his eldest son Lawrence, half-brother of George - the future first president. Lawrence renamed the plantation Mount Vernon in honor of Admiral Vernon, under whom he served in the Caribbean...

George spent part of his youth on the estate of the Lawrence Society (George Washington's father, Augustine, died when George was 11 years old, but his mother lived to be 80 years old, and died only 10 years before the death of George himself. Note site) intermarried with a powerful plantation family of Virginia Faefeksov (Fairfax), becoming a mentor to his young half-brother. It was here that George internalized the plantation ideals of honor and ambition.

In 1754, George leased part of the estate - 2600 acres from the widow of Lawrence, and after her death, in 1761, George Washington inherited the Mount Vernon estate, ”specifies nps.gov.

The contemporary German edition American Presidents: 41 Historical Portraits (ed. Jurgen Heideking, Verlagsbuchhandlung, München 1995) describes the origins of George Washington as follows:

“George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, into a fourth generation family in Virginia. His rise to the colonial elite was by no means predetermined, as he spent his childhood and youth in modest conditions, received a superficial school education, and lost his father Augustine, a tobacco plantation owner and land surveyor, at the age of eleven. He was brought up by his half-brother Lawrence, after whose death he inherited in 1752 the estate of Mount Vernon (in Virginia), near Alexandria on the Potomac River.

George Washington's internal insecurity, resulting from a lack of formal education and cultivated manners, manifested itself in a sometimes excessive desire for public recognition and only gradually gave way to a confident demeanor. In his neighbor Lord Fairfax (Fairfax, from the lord's name comes the name of the now existing Fairfax County, where Mount Vernon is located Note site) who belonged to the wealthiest landowners of Virginia, George Washington found an influential mentor. Fairfax introduced him to the lifestyle of the untitled nobility and supported his first steps towards a career as a government surveyor and officer.

The activity of the land surveyor awakened in Washington an interest in the western regions. All his life he tried to acquire land in the West and increase his property. Washington, it seemed, was made for a career as an officer, since already unusual growth and physical strength emphasized the authority given by nature. With the rank of colonel of the Virginia militia, he was involved in 1754-55. in what is today Pittsburgh during the early battles of the French and Indian War. Although it was more about skirmishes with an inglorious outcome, this "baptism of fire" created a reputation for him as a military leader. The fact that he had to yield to the British officers of the regular troops, and his militia at the end of the war was used only to protect the borders, aroused in him a latent hostility to the mother country, which he was never able to overcome.

Immediately after leaving the military, in January 1759, Washington married Martha Custis Dandridge (Martha Custis Washington), a widow and mother of two children, who had a significant fortune, as well as 150 slaves. Only now Washington, who meanwhile was a member of the Parliament of Virginia, could be ranked among the plantation aristocracy of the colony. In later times, his Mount Vernon estate became one of the unofficial centers of this elitist stratum, which combined a high epic of service to the common good with such carefree pleasures as hunting, racing, dancing and playing cards.

Washington, however, farmed intensively and experimented with new methods of cultivating the land and breeding. He divided his lands into several plantations, gradually replaced tobacco with wheat and strove for broad self-sufficiency. He did not have his own children, the more carefully he took on the role of a father in raising his son and daughter Martha from his first marriage.

The worldview and political philosophy of Washington was influenced by English oppositional or agrarian literature of the early 18th century, especially Viscount Bolingbrook (Bolingbroke, held ministerial posts in London), who opposed the ideal of a patriotic king to the fussy and corrupt activities of the court and government. Washington was no less attracted to the figure (an ancient Roman politician, a model of strict morals, a supporter of republican ideas, a leader of the aristocracy in the Senate and an opponent of Caesar) Cato Jr., whom he learned from the play of Joseph Addison and whom he considered the totality of all Roman virtues. He tried to conform to these patterns in public and private life, up to the classical style of speech and dignified gestures and facial expressions.

Strict control of emotions and self-discipline became his outstanding qualities, under which the original spontaneity less and less showed up. Conservative and judicious in temperament, moderately religious .., but at the same time constantly ready to accept new ideas and thoughts, he combined the virtues of the Anglican past with the progressive consciousness of the Enlightenment. Completely in the spirit of the agrarian ideology mentioned above, Washington perceived the English imperial policy after 1763 as a directed attack on the "old rights" of the settlers, which, if not resolutely resisted, would lead to the complete elimination of colonial self-government. The leadership in this struggle was to be assumed by the elite, supposedly alone capable of rising above private, material interests for the sake of the common good, and which the people should meet with due respect.

Based on this fundamental point of view. Washington flatly rejected British tax laws and claims to sovereignty. In the Virginian parliament and in the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia, where he appeared in full uniform in September 1771, he was one of the first to advocate armed resistance to England. After the battles at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, Washington was unanimously chosen by the second Continental Congress as commander-in-chief of all American armed forces. This was not only a manifestation of confidence in his qualities as a military leader, but behind it was the intention to mobilize the South by the appointment of the Virginian in support of the New England colonies, which were under an immediate (British) threat. . Recall that George Washington became the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797.

Stacey Stephens, Mount Vernon Estate Tour Guide, says:

“The most important feature of George Washington was his leadership. He was an example for everyone. In particular, his command of the Continental Army (during the years of the struggle for independence) encouraged soldiers, whose situation was disappointing, to literally walk barefoot in the snow. And they walked, following their commander.”

Stevens notes that Washington's leadership was essential to a nation that was just getting on its feet:

“In those difficult times, he was an exemplary leader. A strong hand and the ability to lead helped him to maintain balance in any situation. As one historian noted, he was an irreplaceable person who could hold it all in his hands,” says Stephens.

George Washington served two presidential terms from 1789 to 1797. And although he could remain in power for the rest of his life, he chose to be president only twice. He, like the other founders of the nation, was afraid of the idea of ​​a monarchy, when someone would take over all the management of the state. (According to the 22nd amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted in 1951, the same person can be elected president of the United States no more than twice. However, until 1951, US presidents were not legally limited in their right to be re-elected more than twice, but usually did not do this, following the example of George Washington. Note Portlostranah.ru).

After leaving office, Washington returned to private life, to his beloved Mount Vernon estate, where he lived until his death.

He studied new agricultural technologies and put them into practice. Washington had a seven-year crop rotation plan, while other planters only had a three-year one.

At Mount Vernon, George Washington had over 300 slaves. However, he realized the injustice of slavery and promised to ensure their future after the death of his wife Martha (Martha Washington outlived George Washington by three years, having died in 1802. Approx. site). Washington provided funds so that the young slaves, who were illiterate, would learn to write and read. He also provided pensions for elderly slaves.

In December 1799, returning on horseback to his estate, Washington was caught in a snow storm and became seriously ill. In a matter of days, the disease claimed his life. More than two hundred years have passed since then, and George Washington was and remains the father of the nation for Americans,” the Ukrainian broadcast of Voice of America noted.

This review was prepared by Portalostranah.. and one from 01/04/2011, as well as reports from the Ukrainian edition of Voice of America on 02/18/2008. Transcription into text (in the case of Ukrainian broadcasting and translation, Ukrainian), as well as comments provided by Portalostranah. owned by the National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior, as well as the following publications: American Presidents: 41 Historical Portraits, edited by Jurgen Heideking Verlagsbuchhandlung, München 1995 (Russian translation available 1997) and biographies of George Washington by the Soviet researcher Yakovlev (modern edition 1997), other sources.

Mount Vernon is the family estate of the first American president, which he inherited after the death of his parents and older brother. He lived on this estate from his retirement from the army in 1759 until his death in 1799. On estate farms, he grew tobacco and wheat and was one of the largest producers of whiskey.
Adult visitors to Mount Vernon, of course, are interested in learning about Washington's everyday habits, understanding and feeling how American society developed, literally touching the chairs behind which sat those who developed and adopted the Constitution. For children, a special interactive museum has been created here, which tells the biography of Washington, films about the war for independence are shown, scenes from the life of the estate are played in the puppet theater. Also on a special stage, surrounded by portraits of senators, you can take the oath and feel like the president of America for five minutes. Therefore, Mount Vernon is attractive to visit at any time of the year!

And every year from November 27 to January 6, all visitors have a unique opportunity to celebrate Christmas in the same way as George Washington, the "father of the American nation", celebrated it.

It is also interesting that the estate in the form in which we see it now was designed by Washington himself. Rebuilding and expanding the house took almost thirty years! And, despite the fact that the house seems large from the outside, the rooms are quite small, especially by modern standards (and, of course, when compared with the houses of modern politicians). But it offers a magnificent view of the Potomac River!

The estate consists of a whole complex of buildings. On the ground floor in the main house there is a dining room, a salon in which George Washington received his guests, a small salon used by his wife Martha, Washington's office, on the second and third floors there are small bedrooms and a playroom, which was also used as home school. It is interesting that the kitchen itself and the “cold” room, in which the shot game and dairy products were stored, are not in the common house, and the slaves had to carry heavy dishes to the dining room. Inside the house, by the way, you can’t take pictures, but even from the official, allowed for release photo of George Washington’s bedroom, you can see how small the rooms were

Pay attention to the dome - Washington “planted” a dove on the weather vane, which is a symbol of peace. Himself a former military man and intelligence officer, he could not help but appreciate this

Not far from the right wing of the house are, as I already mentioned, a “cold” room and separately built houses in which slave women worked - laundresses, seamstresses and dishwashers. There are also stables, blacksmith and carpenter houses and residential barracks for slaves.

For special tourists like us, who are surprised by the double standards and do not really understand how it is possible to be a slave owner and oppose slavery at the same time, there are explanatory signs. Tour guides also tolerantly explain that Washington released all the slaves in his will, and before his death he could not do this simply because "they had nowhere to go." Of course, I could not restrain myself and asked why, in that case, he did not offer them to settle and work on the estate for a salary, as free people, but the guide looked so sternly in response that I immediately felt the whole blasphemous intention of my question

In memory of the slaves, a small monument was erected relatively recently at the site of their cemetery.

Here, on the estate, is the grave of George Washington - so to speak, the American "post number one"

Museum staff tried and recreated in Mount Vernon the style of subsistence farming that was carried out under the first American president. The orchard here grows the same varieties that grew in the eighteenth century, the same flowers and herbs are grown in the garden, the same breeds of sheep, cows and pigs graze in the fields.

And even the park paths are kept in the same form in which they were under their famous owner.

In the fields, in memory of the military past of George Washington, a tent camp has been set up. This is where costume fights take place.

At the entrance to the modern complex, where an interactive museum, cafes and shops are located (where without them!), You are greeted by the owner and his family

As I said above, you can imagine yourself as the President of America

And you can also try chocolate made in the traditions of the eighteenth century (by the way, the exact same one is sold in another open-air museum - Colonial Williamsburg, which is also located in Virginia. I wrote about it)

In addition to other souvenirs, you can buy whiskey produced using the technology of George Washington in the store. The official picture is incredibly beautiful, the price is incredibly high, the taste is quite ordinary. Perfect for a keepsake or gift

By the way, about gifts. At one time, George Washington, wanting to please the children of his wife, their friends, as well as the children of slaves (yes, the well-known fighter against slavery was himself a major slave owner), ordered a real camel for 18 shillings for Christmas. Washington generally had a weakness for exotic animals and often invited traveling circuses and zoos with sea lions, leopards and monkeys to Mount Vernon. But everyone liked the camel as a Christmas entertainment so much that it was decided to arrange such a gift for children every year.
For several years now, a camel named Aladdin has been brought to Mount Vernon from a zoo in Berryville, Virginia. He is so popular that clothes with his image and toy Aladdins are successfully sold in Virginia, and he even has his own page in

Welcome to the United States of America!

Mount Vernon Manor is a famous plantation located near the city of Alexandria, on the banks of the river, in Fairfax County,. It is located twenty-four kilometers south of the capital. Since the sixtieth year of the last century, the estate has received the status of a National Historic Monument.

The estate got its name in honor of the British admiral Vernon from the elder brother of the prominent politician. Inheriting the plantation in the mid-eighteenth century, George Washington built a two-story wooden house on its territory and a number of other structures, among which was a distillery.

Until the seventy-fourth year of the eighteenth century, Washington devoted itself entirely to Mount Vernon, as well as to its nearby Custis plantations. On the coast of the Potomac River, he grows not only tobacco, but also wheat. A little later, Washington began to export flour and fish to the West Indies.

The politician permanently resided in Mount Vernon between the performance of his duties until his death in one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine. The estate still has personal belongings and furniture of the first US president. Together with his wife, he was buried here.

In Mount Vernon, you can see how much of America lived in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, visit the house where Washington and his family lived, and admire the stunning view of the Potomac coast that opens from the front lawn of the president's house.

The estate itself makes a rather simple impression - in it you can see only the most necessary for a decent living. Even the house for the servants of the guests is more like a tavern, where they could not only have a bite to eat, but also, if necessary, stay the night. Sheep, cows and pigs were bred on the farms of the estate, and peaches, cherries and apples grew in the gardens located nearby. It was possible to hunt in the forest nearby, and a small pier adorned the river bank.

All :

Living in Washington, it is difficult to resist the desire to visit his own house ... Getting to Mount Vernon, as his estate was called, is quite simple. It is located just 24 km south of the US capital, in the state of Virginia. The very place for the future capital was chosen with the expectation that George Washington could easily reach it in his horse-drawn carriage. Now there is a regular bus number 101 to Mount Vernon. It leaves regularly from the Huntington tube station. George Washington's estate is located on the high bank of the Potomac River, so cruise ships go there in the summer.

A visit to the estate museum will cost $ 17, but there are days in the year when you can get to Mount Vernon for free. It happens on George Washington's birthday when he himself greets his guests. Of course, the role of Washington is played by one of the actors of the Historical Theater.

I have visited this Washington estate more than once, including in February, when the country celebrates President's Day. It is celebrated annually on the third Monday in February and was originally established in honor of George Washington, who was born on February 22. On this day in Alexandria (Virginia) a parade-demonstration takes place, including in the form of a historical reconstruction, because the first president of the country sits in a carriage, driven by beautifully decorated horses, along with his wife. And among the participants in the parade, a place of honor is given to the soldiers of the Continental Army, whom George Washington commanded during the War of Independence.

However, in February, Mount Vernon does not look as elegant as in spring and summer. Mount Vernon House, Manor and Plantation covers an area of ​​169 hectares. This is one of the most important historical sites associated with the personality of the first president. The credit for reviving Mount Vernon belongs to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, initiated by Ann Cunningham of South Carolina. It was this organization that purchased the Washington estate from his heirs for $200,000. In 1858, the restoration of the house began to restore its original appearance, and already in 1860 the museum was opened to the first visitors. During the years of the Civil War, Mount Vernon remained a neutral territory for both warring parties, no matter how hostilities unfolded very close to its borders.

The estate became a national historical park in 1960, now it is the second most popular place in the United States after the White House. There is always a huge line of tourists at the entrance. It is visited by over a million people annually.

An endless stream of tourists

In the information center you can take pictures with the Washington family

Mount Vernon, the family home of the Washingtons, is associated with 40 years of the life of the first president. Here he spent several carefree childhood years, here he lived, becoming part of the plantation elite of Virginia, here he constantly returned when his military and political affairs allowed. Here he died and was buried in the family crypt, completed in 1831 according to his will.

He became the owner of the plantation after the death of his half-brother Lawrence, who named it Mount Vernon in honor of the British Admiral Vernon, under whom he served. Mount Vernon Plantation originally covered 1,600 hectares with 18 slaves. George Washington turned out to be an experienced and caring owner, who gradually turned his plantation into a well-established prosperous economy, increasing its area to 8 thousand hectares. The number of slaves owned by Washington reached 300 people. From his diaries one can judge the pastime of a wealthy Virginian planter. His favorite pastimes were: fishing, hunting for foxes and ducks, visiting the church, as well as horse races and cockfights, receiving guests and returning visits, funny feasts, dancing at balls, theatrical performances, cards and billiards.

The centerpiece of Mount Vernon Manor is the elegant main mansion, a striking example of colonial architecture. It is wooden, but finished in such a way that it gives the impression of a stone building. The decoration of the mansion are windows in the Paladian style and a kind of dome-lantern, on which a gilded weather vane depicting the Dove of Peace is hoisted. The dome was a source of light and at the same time served to circulate air in the summer.

Living room

Key to the Bastille. Lafayette's gift

After visiting the mansion, visitors find themselves on a beautiful lawn in front of the house, spread out on the very bank of the Potomac. From here, a stunning panorama opens, which was once admired by Washington itself and its many guests, among whom were: Lafayette, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and other famous personalities.

After that, you definitely need to walk around the estate. Not far from the manor house is a carriage house with an elegant carriage, Washington ordered them from England. There are also stables here, as Mount Vernon was famous for its horses.

Tourists can now see various outbuildings and workshops: a laundry, a smokehouse, a smithy, a shoemaker's and a cooper's workshop, etc.

Mount Vernon also attracts visitors because scenes from "living history" are unfolding here all the time. It seems to visitors that the usual everyday life of the 18th century reigns around: they cook food, graze cattle, work around the house, make blacksmith and other products ... You can, if you're lucky, see the teachings of the colonial troops. Everything is as it used to be. Imitation even in the details.

Small houses of overseers and slaves are located separately, since Washington was a large slave owner.

He treated his slaves quite gently, as the documents show. He freed his slaves by will, which was not so common at that time. Recently, a memorial sign was erected in the cemetery for slaves, who, of course, were buried separately from their owners.

The estate itself is a solid farm, where everything necessary for life was grown and produced. The upper garden, where Martha Washington bred various varieties of flowers, is very beautiful in beauty. There was also an apothecary garden with medicinal herbs. In the 18th century, having medicinal plants on hand was a vital necessity. The lower garden was given over to fruit trees and shrubs, various varieties of berries and vegetables. Apples, cherries, plums, peaches also grew here.

Mount Vernon and other farms grew mainly tobacco, which was exported to Europe. The Pier on the Potomac River was the main transportation hub for imports, including household items from England, and for exports.

On the estate you can see special barns designed for drying tobacco leaves. Wheat and corn were also grown here, and flour was sold to the West Indies. The farm had its own water mill, which is still in operation today. There was also a large distillery for those times, producing up to 5 thousand gallons of whiskey per year. The estate raised a solid livestock, as well as poultry. And now you can see special paddocks and fenced pastures.

George Washington, as they say, advanced farmer. He was inventive in improving the tools of labor: he designed a new form of plow, invented a machine for harvesting turnips, and improved the design of a seeder. One of the first in Virginia, he began the fight against soil depletion, resorting to multi-field crop rotation and the use of organic fertilizers. While on his estate, Washington actually rode around his estate every day in any weather. So it was on December 3, 1799, when, while inspecting his possessions, he spent several hours on the saddle and fell under the rain and snow. This led to a severe cold that turned into pneumonia. The medical means of that time could not help him, on the night of December 14-15, at the age of 67, he died. And he was buried in the family crypt, where grateful descendants now come to bow to his memory.

The Mount Vernon estate is so large that for tourists there are small shuttle minibuses that deliver from the Potomac coast to the exit. In Mount Vernon, you can spend a whole day unnoticed. And leaving it, you can buy souvenirs in the store at the modern tourist information center as a keepsake.

Mount Vernon cherishes the memory of the first American president.

Freemasons head to Mount Vernon