Mount Vernon
About this property
Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmark, the estate lies on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, approximately 15 miles (25 km) south of Washington, D.C. The Washington family acquired land in the area in 1674. Around 1734, the family embarked on an expansion of its estate that continued under George Washington, who began leasing the estate in 1754 before becoming its sole owner in 1761. The mansion was built of wood in a loose Palladian style; the original house was built in about 1734 by George Washington's father Augustine Washington. George Washington expanded the house twice, once in the late 1750s and again in the 1770s. It remained Washington's home for the rest of his life. After Washington's death in 1799, the estate progressively declined under the ownership of several successive generations of the Washington family. In 1858, the house's historical importance was recognized and was taken over by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, along with part of the Washington property estate. The mansion and its surrounding buildings escaped damage from the American Civil War, which damaged many properties in the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Mount Vernon was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is still owned and maintained in trust by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, being open to the public daily in recognition of George Washington's 1794 acknowledgement of public interest in his estate: "I have no objection to any sober or orderly person's gratifying their curiosity in viewing the buildings, Gardens, &ca. about Mount Vernon."
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Mount Vernon listed on the National Register?
Mount Vernon was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.
What type of historic resource is Mount Vernon?
Mount Vernon is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Mount Vernon a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Mount Vernon has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Mount Vernon?
The period of significance for Mount Vernon is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Mount Vernon?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Mount Vernon will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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An Aubrey US report for an address near Mount Vernon will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.