2016 . jump to navigation search for other uses see mount vernon disambiguation . mount vernon u.s. national register of historic places u.s. national historic landmark virginia landmarks register mount vernon estate mount vernon show map of northern virginia mount vernon show map of virginia mount vernon show map of the us location in northern virginia location fairfax county virginia nearest city alexandria virginia coordinates 38 42 29 n 77 05 10 w 38.7080 n 77.0861 w 38.7080 ; 77.0861 coordinates 38 42 29 n 77 05 10 w 38.7080 n 77.0861 w 38.7080 ; 77.0861 area 500 acres 200 ha built 1758 architect unknown architectural style palladian nrhp reference 66000833 1 vlr 029 0054 significant dates added to nrhp december 19 1960 1 designated vlr sep 9 1969 2 mount vernon was the plantation house of george washington first president of the united states and his wife martha dandridge custis washington . the estate is situated on the banks of the potomac river in fairfax county virginia near alexandria across from prince george s county maryland . the washington family had owned land in the area since the time of washington s great grandfather in 1674 . in 1739 they embarked on an expansion of the estate that continued under george washington who came into possession of the estate in 1754 but did not become its sole owner until 1761 . the mansion is built of wood in a loose palladian style and was constructed by george washington in stages between 1758 and 1778 . it occupies the site of an earlier smaller house built by george washington s father augustine some time between 1726 and 1735 . it remained washington s country home for the rest of his life . following his death in 1799 under the ownership of several successive generations of the family the estate progressively declined as revenues were insufficient to maintain it adequately . in 1858 the house s historical importance was recognized and it was saved from ruin by the mount vernon ladies association ; this philanthropic organization acquired it together with part of the washington property estate . escaping the damage suffered by many plantation houses during the american civil war mount vernon was restored . mount vernon was designated a national historic landmark in 1960 and is today listed on the national register of historic places . it is still owned and maintained in trust by the mount vernon ladies association and is open every day of the year . allowing the public to see the estate is not an innovation but part of a 200 year old tradition started by george washington himself . in 1794 he wrote i have no objection to any sober or orderly person s gratifying their curiosity in viewing the buildings gardens & ca . about mount vernon . 3 contents 1 name 2 buildings and grounds 2.1 architecture 2.2 interior 2.3 grounds 3 history 3.1 john washington 1633 77 3.2 lawrence washington 1659 1698 3.3 augustine washington 1694 1743 3.4 lawrence washington 1718 1752 3.5 george washington 1732 1799 3.5.1 agriculture and enterprise 4 washington s tomb 5 preservation legacy and tourism 5.1 award 6 see also 7 references 8 further reading 9 external links name edit when george washington s ancestors acquired the estate it was known as little hunting creek plantation after the nearby little hunting creek . 4 however when washington s older half brother lawrence washington inherited it he changed its name to mount vernon in honor of vice admiral edward vernon famed for the war of jenkin s ear and capture of the portobelo col n. 5 vernon had been lawrence s commanding officer in the british royal navy . when george washington inherited the property he retained the name . 4 buildings and grounds edit in classic palladian style on the western side the main house is flanked by advancing single story secondary wings creating a cour d honneur the current property consists of 500 acres 200 ha ; 6 the main buildings including the house are near the riverfront . architecture edit the present house was built in phases from 1758 by an unknown architect on the site of the washingtons former farmhouse . this staggered and unplanned evolution is indicated by the off center main door which would once have been central to an earlier fa ade . as completed and seen today the house is in a loose palladian style . the principal block dating from 1758 is a two storied corps de logis flanked by two single story secondary wings built in 1775 . these secondary wings which house the servants hall on the northern side and the kitchen on the southern side are connected to the corps de logis by symmetrical quadrant colonnades built in 1778 . the completion of the colonnades cemented the classical palladian arrangement of the complex and formed a distinct cour d honneur known at mount vernon as mansion circle giving the house its imposing perspective . the corps de logis and secondary wings have hipped roofs with dormers . in addition to its second story the importance of the corps de logis is further emphasized by two large chimneys piercing the roof and by a cupola surmounting the center of the house ; this octagonal focal point has a short spire topped by a gilded dove of peace . 7 this placement of the cupola is more in the earlier carolean style than palladian and was probably incorporated to improve ventilation of the enlarged attic and enhance the overall symmetry of the structure and the two wings ; a similar cupola crowns the governor s house at williamsburg of which washington would have been aware . interior edit the rooms at mount vernon have mostly been restored to their appearance at the time of george and martha washington s occupancy . these rooms include washington s study two dining rooms the larger known as the new room the west parlour the front parlour the kitchen and some bedrooms . 8 the interior design follows the classical concept of the exterior but owing to the mansion s piecemeal evolution the internal architectural features the doorcases mouldings and plasterwork are not consistently faithful to one specific period of the 18th century revival of classical architecture . instead they range from severe palladianism to a finer and later neoclassicism in the style of robert adam . 8 this varying of the classical style is best exemplified in the doorcases and surrounds of the principal rooms . in the west parlour and small dining rooms there are doorcases complete with ionic columns and full pediments whereas in the hall and passageways the doors are given broken pediments supported only by an architrave . 8 many of the rooms are lined with painted panelling and have ceilings ornamented by plasterwork in a neoclassical style ; much of this plasterwork can be attributed to an english craftsman and emigree john rawlins who arrived from london in 1771 bringing with him the interior design motifs then fashionable in the british capital . 9 today visitors to mount vernon are shown washington s study a room to which in the eighteenth century only a privileged few were granted entr e. it is a simply furnished room washington used as a combined bathroom dressing room and office ; the room was so private that few contemporary descriptions exist . its walls are lined with naturally grained panelling and matching bookcases . 10 in contrast to the privacy of the study since washington s time the grandest most public and principal reception room has been the so called new room or large dining room a two storied salon notable for its large palladian window occupying the whole of the mansion s northern elevation and its fine neoclassical marble chimneypiece . 11 the history of this chimneypiece to some degree explains the overall restrained style of the house . when it was donated to washington by the english merchant samuel vaughan washington was initially reluctant to accept the gift stating that it was too elegant & costly i fear for my own room & republican stile of living . 12 a determined effort has to be made to restore the rooms and maintain the atmosphere of the eighteenth century ; this has been achieved by using original color schemes and by displaying furniture carpets and decorative objects which are contemporary to the house . throughout george washington and his family are evident through portraits and former possessions expressing the preservation of the mansion as a personal memorial to the washingtons as well as a nationally important museum . grounds edit the eastern fa ade facing the potomac the gardens and grounds contain english boxwoods taken from cuttings sent by major general henry lee iii light horse harry lee a governor of virginia and the father of robert e. lee which were planted in 1786 by george washington and now crowd the entry path . a carriage road skirts a grassy bowling green to approach the mansion entrance . to each side of the green is a garden contained by a red brick wall . these colonial revival gardens 13 grew the household s vegetables fruit and other perishable items for consumption . the upper garden located to the north is bordered by the greenhouse . 14 ha ha walls are used to separate the working farm from the pleasure grounds that washington created for his family and guests . 15 the overseer s quarter spinning room salt house and gardener s house are between the upper garden and the mansion . the lower garden or southern garden is bordered on the east by the storehouse and clerk s quarters smokehouse wash house laundry yard and coach house . a paddock and stable are on the southern border of the garden ; east of them a little down the hillside is the icehouse . the original tomb is located along the river . the newer tomb in which the bodies of george and martha washington have rested since 1831 is south of the fruit garden ; the slave burial ground is nearby a little farther down the hillside . a forest trail runs through woods down to a recreated pioneer farm site on low ground near the river ; the 4 acre 16 000 m2 working farm includes a re creation of washington s 16 sided treading barn . 16 a museum and education center are on the grounds and exhibit examples of washington s survey equipment weapons and clothing as well as dentures worn by the first president . the fred w. smith national library for the study of george washington opened in september 2013 . 17 the library fosters new scholarly about george washington and safeguards original washington books and manuscripts . the site is open for scholarship by appointment only . history edit john washington 1633 77 edit in 1674 john washington the great grandfather of president washington and his friend nicholas spencer came into possession of the land from which mount vernon plantation would be carved originally known by its indian name of epsewasson . 18 a the successful patent on the acreage was due largely to spencer who acted as agent for his cousin thomas colepeper 2nd baron colepeper 18 the english landowner who controlled the northern neck of virginia in which the tract lay . 19 lawrence washington 1659 1698 edit when john washington died in 1677 his son lawrence george washington s grandfather inherited his father s stake in the property . in 1690 he agreed to formally divide the estimated 5 000 acre 20 km2 estate with the heirs of nicholas spencer who had died the previous year . the spencers took the larger southern half bordering dogue creek in the september 1674 land grant from lord culpeper leaving the washingtons the portion along little hunting creek . the spencer heirs paid