Mount Vernon Revisited Part 1
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 Mount Vernon, Virginia. It was time to go see George again, for several reasons. With the country's 250th birthday celebration this year, it was a good time to revisit Mount Vernon, home of America's First President. And in 2024-2025 they did a lot of renovations, so there is curiosity to see what was done, and what is still in the works. And because its so close, that is pretty convenient to get more reference photos as an artist!
Not My First Rodeo / Revisit to Mount Vernon
I went to Elementary school in Alexandria, so school field trips to all the local historic areas included Mount Vernon, Woodlawn Plantation, and to Washington DC to the Smithsonian museums, the FBI building, the Zoo, and more were always on the radar. So the difference from those early bus trips from school until my first return to Mount Vernon in about 2008 was an extraordinary mind-blowing experience (as well as a LARGE span of time). The Donald Reynolds Museum and Educational Center on the grounds had just been finished in 2006. And that was crazy good.
I went again to MV around 2010 or so, with my mom and an aunt and we had a very wonderful day visiting the Washingtons and viewing the gardens.
Every time you visit, you always learn and probably see something new. That is because there is so much information to take in and because they are still learning more and more about the Washington's and Mount Vernon estate. And various people will occasionally loan out or donate artifacts for a period of time.
During cellar renovations, do you remember hearing about the preserves that they found in jars? And the silverware found in a wall? See 35 18th-century Glass Bottles Discovered
Also see Restoring a National Treasure: George Washington's Iconic Mansion at Mount Vernon And this virtual tour may be available as well.
If you go through the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center, you will see the original cupola and weathervane so don't miss those. And some of Washington's actual clothes. Is that crazy or what?!
Washington and Mount Vernon Stats and Facts
- The house was originally built in 1734 by George's father Augustine Washington (d1743 age 48). His mother was Mary Ball Washington (d1789 age 80).
- George Washington was born February 22, 1732.
- George Washington didn't inherit Mount Vernon until 1761 (age 29).
- The major expansions occurred in 1758, 1774, and 1776.
- The square footage of MV is 11,028 and it has 21 rooms.
- The height of Mount Vernon is 2 and 1/2 stories and I think I understood they are still working in the cellar / basement area. Not sure if it will ever be open to the public in future.
- The Revolutionary War ended on September 3, 1783 (George was 51 years old).
- George Washington served as the First President of the United States from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797 for 2 terms.
- In 1798, the Washingtons hosted a total of 677 guests to Mount Vernon. That works out to about 2 people a day, every day for the year.
- George Washington passed away on Saturday, December 14, 1799.
- The funeral of George Washington took place on December 18, 1799 and he was buried in the Old Tomb. The new marble vault tomb was constructed in 1837, so George, Martha and about 21 other family members were moved from the Old Tomb to the New Tomb.
- Martha Washington passed in May of 1802 (age 70).
- The Mount Vernon Ladies Association purchased the Mansion in 1858 along with 200 acres of land for $200,000. The home was falling to ruin and neglect. The MVLA took over the operation of the Mansion in 1860.
Check list before you go: good walking shoes, bottle of water, power booster for your phone to recharge it, knowing you will take 3 million or so photos. On the way walking toward the front of the house...and there it is!
Waiting in line for the House Tour which are timed...it is a very good idea to buy your tickets online prior to arrival to reserve the time slot you want - several days in advance if possible. We happened upon a gorgeous day with temperatures in the upper 70s, but I have been there when it was much hotter.
There are some renovations still ongoing. On previous visits you entered the home directly through the New Room. Now you enter through the Servants' Hall next to the main house, then the walkway, and then go into the New Room.
The outbuilding Servants' Hall was where the traveling companions (the servants) of the visiting dignitaries and house guests would take their meals and spend their time. The sleeping arrangements were upstairs and the dignitary would stay in the main house and dine with the Washingtons. See https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/servants-hall
The First Floor
The New Room was the last addition to the house and faces North. As the fame of the First President grew, that meant more and more visitors to Mount Vernon to visit the Washington's. And many, many visitors they had. In one year, they had over 600 guests that ate and stayed with them so they were always entertaining.
The New Room was used for many functions including receiving visitors and a ball room. See https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-mansion/the-new-room/how-did-the-washingtons-use-the-new-room
.jpeg)
Because of President Washington's love of agriculture, farming, and gardening, the various farming tools and wheat are incorporated all around in the decorative plaster and trim work.
George didn't like sitting for portraits but he did for this painting for the American artist / painter and military officer, John Trumbull (1756-1843). See John Trumbull. I believe I read or heard that this is the original painting on loan from the Yale University Art Gallery (in the video they credited somewhere else, nonetheless, its the original).
Just thinking that George probably leaned against this mantel on more than one occasion. Should be a sign that says, "George's elbow was here." Nonetheless, this marble surround is known as the Vaughan Mantel and was a 1785 gift from the English merchant, political activist, and friend of George's, Samuel Vaughan.
A look into the Front Parlor - a favorite room in the house of the Washingtons. A family gathering space along with guests for games, discussions, reading, and where tea and coffee were served.
The view to the East is the Potomac River from the Piazza. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association purchased a huge plot of land across the river when they learned that some building was planned that would be detrimental to the view from the Nation's First President's home.
Learn more about the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. They were the ones that literally saved Mount Vernon.
The Windsor chairs must have been in storage. In the past, those chairs were lined up and visitors were always sitting and admiring the view. With all the continuing renovations, and they were extensive, the tours running through the house funnel guests through so that everyone can be accommodated.
Several of the staff members stated that the view is much as it was in Washington's time. I should have asked the question if they trimmed up those trees along the shoreline.
Some years ago, I was able to take a boat tour from Belmont Bay with a friend of mine and we came up to Mount Vernon. I took lots of photos from the water, allowing me to paint Mount Vernon from the East side. See My Etsy Shop where I have prints available as the painting has sold. Now that I have more pictures, perhaps I will paint another one!
And note that the lawn was 'roped-off' currently so you could only see the back of the house at an angle.
The siding on the house is made to look like stone but it was wood - yellow pine siding.
The Central Passage is the entryway of the home, with a door at both ends that could capture cross breezes during hot summers. The main staircase to the second floor but there is at least two more staircases to go up to the second floor.
The Little Parlor was originally a small bedroom that was converted at the end of Washington's presidency. The Little Parlor faces East and was used as a family gathering spot and music room.
The Front Parlor from the Central Passage. The Front Parlor faced west. Most of the doorways are blocked with plexiglass so that you cannot actually enter the rooms of course. But because of the way the house is built, many of the downstairs rooms can be viewed from 2 different doorways. For the upstairs bedchambers, they would only have the one door. See https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-mansion/front-parlor
The Dining Room. Apparently Washington was very fond of the color green. Well, he was a farmer you know.
I'm thinking that renovation project did a very awesome job! How about you?
The Second Floor
The Blue Room. The names of Colonial-era rooms were typically named after their function, an architectural feature or the activity that took place there. Mount Vernon followed the same naming schematic.
The Blue Room faced the West front entrance and served as a guest room for visiting family and guests.
The Lafayette Room - when the Marquis de Lafayette visited, this is the room he would stay in. Note the painting of Lafayette on the wall that Washington commissioned from the artist Charles Willson Peale, although this is a reproduction of the original. See https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-mansion/lafayette-room
The Lafayette Room faces Wast overlooking the Potomac and I am sure, a great sunrise. Breakfast was at seven am.
The Mount Vernon staff can answer about any question you can throw at them...and you should! I found being at the back of our group allowed for more time to learn the good stuff.
We heard that April is the busiest month for house tours, and that the grounds and house could look forward to over 5,000 visitors a day, with an average of 1 million annually and 2,740 a day. I'd imagine that with America's 250 coming soon, that the numbers will be high this year - there was a ton of people there on this revisit!
Stuff you can learn is that this is not the actual wallpaper from Washington's time but it is a fairly accurate replication of what would have been on the walls at the time. Martha Washington apparently had a parrot, so a parrot was incorporated into the design.
The Chintz Room featured Asian influences and overlooked the West front of the home. Read more about this room here https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-mansion/the-chintz-room
The Small Room is the only bedroom without a fireplace so in winter, no one wanted to spend the night in this room. (Addition me: perhaps menopausal women would.)
The Yellow Room. This room overlooks the East, looking at the Potomac River. The room is the only bedroom in the manor that visitors can actually walk through. And it is reportedly the most expensively furnished guest room in the house.
While in this room following all of the MV visitors, at the back of the line mind you, a gentleman asked the staff member if the windows were original. He said that many of them were. Then he pointed out in one particular window pane, that you could make out where George Washington's granddaughter once used a coin and carved her name in a window pane. It has "Eliza P Custis, August 2, 1792" memorialized there by 15 year old Elizabeth Parke Custis. See more here https://www.mountvernon.org/preservation/restoration-projects/completed-restoration-projects/yellow-room/yellow-room-timeline
Living here in Northern Virginia, under 17 miles from Mount Vernon, I understand just how cold it can get in the winter here. I'm unsure if any kind of insulation was used at the time; nonetheless it would have been COLD. Fireplaces throughout the house were required.
Bed hangings (curtained beds) were used for privacy, for warmth, and notably as a status symbol that showcased the homeowner's social status and wealth.
The Washington's Bedchamber is above Washington's Study, directly below. The room faces South and has views of the river and the farm lands. The room had a closet and storage space. The room has a mixture of original, period, and reproduction furnishings, with the bed not being the original.
Our First President passed away in his bedroom on Saturday, December 14, 1799, at age 67 from a throat infection after falling ill. He had been riding on horseback on Thursday, December 12 and his clothing was wet from the inclement weather and it had been suggested that he change out of his clothing when he returned from the ride about 3:00. Dinner at Mount Vernon was served in the early afternoon and George, being the punctual person he was, did not want to be late, so he did not change clothes first.
Friday, December 13, 1799 started with a few inches of snow and George had a sore throat. Yet he went about his daily duties noticeably getting hoarser through the day, going to bed around 9pm.
Saturday, December 14, 1799. See this account of his last day here and in the on grounds museum at Mount Vernon there is a timeline documenting his last few days as well. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/the-death-of-george-washington It was reported that his last words were, "Tis' well" and he passed between 10-11pm
I asked the Mount Vernon staff member about the long-rumored "wooden teeth" that Washington was purported to have, if that could have added to his passing. A very interesting answer included that at the time of Washington's death, he only had one real tooth left. So yes, the various 'false teeth' that he had, made from various materials could have added to his demise.
Additionally, Washington traveled to Europe occasionally and the typical beverages that were served were wines and beers with VERY high sugar content, especially onboard the ships when crossing the Atlantic, hence the inevitable dental issues. And the belief that at that time, most everyone drank a lot of spirits through the day...was everyone perhaps more tipsy than today? Water was not exactly a beverage served at the time.
A sad thing about the time after Washington's passing is that when the Mount Vernon's Ladies Association purchased Mount Vernon, there wasn't a lot left in the Mansion as far as furnishings. The furniture and other home goods were sold off or bequeathed to family / friends. The Association worked on refurnishing the Bedchamber with periodic and original objects over a long period of time.
Not pictured is the Garret Bedchamber that is located on the third floor. After George passed, Martha could no longer stay in their shared Bedchamber. See https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/garret-bedchamber. The third floor is occasionally open for viewing during the holidays or special tours although it has strictly limited access due to the very narrow and steep stairs common for these old historic homes of the period.
The First Floor Again
The Study was where George would hang out - his retreat from everyone after he returned from the Revolutionary War in 1783. The bookcase in the wall is original. There is a small private staircase that Washington would use that went up the 2nd floor bedchamber above. Basically, the Study was George's Man Cave and permission to enter was by invitation only.
This is where his clothes were kept, where he bathed, and where he dressed.
The Dining Room. It makes you wonder how many people they could seat for dinner as the room is only 15 feet wide and 17 feet long. The New Room could be used as a dining room as well, for larger events and high ranking visitors. But not sure there was enough space for that large a number of overnight visitors.
Dinner was customarily served about 3 in the afternoon every day except on Sunday, when dinner was served at 2pm. Bedtime was about 8-9pm.
The Butler's Pantry is apparently still being renovated. The Pantry faces the West front of the home. The Pantry is where the everyday china was stored with the fine china stored up on the third floor. It's said there is evidence of a bell system to summon servants here as well. 'Closets' didn't use to be a thing back then but a few are in Mount Vernon, including a storage place for the silver and expensive items I think in the Washington Bedchamber.
Several things occurred to me while visiting Mount Vernon on this revisit.
1. Chairs with open backs were probably originally designed for giving air to people during the hot summer weather for air circulation, and to allow the heat from the fire place to warm the person. (Ever think that?)
2. I just always thought that George built Mount Vernon. He didn't. He did several renovations including the addition of the second and third floors, and the addition of the New Room. The house was actually built in 1734 by Augustine Washington, George's father. Maybe I didn't remember it, not sure.
3. There were multiple stairways, more than I realized. I wondered if this was a safety issue as well as a privacy feature.
4. I knew this but people were shorter back then. I definitely saw this at Gunston Hall with the very low upstairs banister. You could also notice it in chair heights and bed lengths sometimes.
5. George Washington was brilliant. In reading and listening to the stories, the letters, the notes, the quotes, and the interests of George Washington, I recognized how very smart a man he was. Maybe obvious because he was such a leader, but his humbleness and the realization that he wanted slavery to be abolished. In his will, he included a provision that would free the 123 enslaved people he owned upon his death. See Washington's Changing Views on Slavery. An interesting read.
Out of the Mansion and through the walkway we go...
Didn't see any bathrooms did you? And why might that be? Any ideas? Wouldn't that be necessary?
There is a full basement under the Mansion, but no secret passages have been found. (As well as National Treasure secret passages from the movie.)
Stay tuned for Part 2 of Mount Vernon Revisited with more pictures from the outbuildings and wandering the grounds. - and follow this blog!
@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
*I LOVE reading your comments on my posts! Just remember that the blog comments are monitored so they may not appear right away.
Do you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member? Yes, I do most commissions, so please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.