George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Saves: 19
Check-ins: 13
The historic home of the nation's first president and first lady is a 500-acre estate. The Washington family purchased the land in 1674, but the expansions as we see them today were not finished until the 1770s. The structures are built in a Palladian style, surrounding a courtyard. The sheer size of the plantation required a lot of manpower - most of which was provided by enslaved men, women, and children, many of whom are now listed in Mount Vernon's database. A memorial designed by Howard University was installed in 1983, dedicated to the "Afro-Americans who served as slaves." (Submitted by Jimmy Olsen)

Member Photos

Young Washington (at 19)
Middle aged (40) Washington as a commander
The old (60) Washington as the first POTUS
Mount Vernon interior room. Yes, green paint was fashionable.
Washington was the only president to free his enslaved people after his death. This marker honors the enslaved buried on the site. Erected in 1929, it is one of the earliest, if not the first ever, to recognize them.
Replica house of the enslaved who worked on the plantation. Great lengths are being taken to recognize and tell their story.
Family Tomb
Sept 2022