Mount Vernon: Amazing Residence of the First President of the United States
22 January 2014
By Saeed Qureshi
Mount Vernon is the name of the Home and estate of
George Washington, the first president of the United
States. Its unique architecture portrays Palladian
style. Its original name was" little hunting creek
plantation" but was changed to Mount Vernon by Georg
Washington's half-brother Lawrence Washington. This
Magnificent panoramic architectural marvel and its
surroundings are located in the state of Virginia
along river Potomac. The rear side of the mansion
faces a captivating picturesque view with mighty
Potomac River flowing with its awesome majesty. George
Washington himself defined his estate as "No estate in
United State is more pleasantly situated than this".
Mount Vernon is located at a distance of about 13
miles from the downtown of Washington D.C. or more
precisely in the rural vicinity of the federal
capital. Mount Vernon is situated at a higher plateau
and therefore serves as an ideal vantage point for
overlooking the surrounding ancillary structures such
as store house, coach house, wash house, stables,
fruit gardens and nursery. Further down one can walk
through to see the old and the new tombs of George
Washington and his wife Martha Dandridge Custis
Washington. Further trekking down one comes across the
forest trail, pioneer farm, 16 sided barn and slave
memorial.
President George Washington lived in this unique
residence for 45 years which means from the year 1754
when he acquired it, to 1799 when he died here. His
grave and that of his wife who died two years later
are located in a well maintained tomb a few hundred
yards away in the garden area.
The history of Mount Vernon reveals that this estate
passed through several owners before it finally came
into the exclusive ownership of George Washington.
After the death of his older half-brother Lawrence in
1752, George Washington took up residence at the house
built by his father Augustine Washington in 1735.
The original house built by Augustine was much smaller
in size: with two floors: each floor having two rooms.
The house underwent certain changes in its dimensions
in subsequent times carried out by the previous
owners. But the real and landmark remodeling was
brought about in phases over a long period times by
George Washington himself after acquiring its
ownership. Mount Vernon is thus a kind of
self-contained city where one would find an array of
huts, houses, warehouse, blacksmith shop, spinning
house, kitchen house, smoke house, wash house, salt
house, slave quarters, and so on.
This estate, gardens, farms and plantation land
measured 8000 acres in the 18th century. After its
massive decay and deterioration, the "Mount Vernon
Ladies Association" purchased 200 acres in 1853 from
the Washington family. Ever since this nonprofit
organization is maintaining and operating this most
prominent American heritage, wonderful estate and
captivating landscape to keep the legacy and heritage
of Washington and his family alive for American
people. The Association is financed solely by
donations and revenue from admissions and tickets to
rune this huge undertaking. Happily now the maintained
areas has increased to 500 acres.
George Washington was a cut and dried farmer. So after
taking up the residence, he zealously and
indefatigably engaged himself into a studied mission
to renovate and expand this huge estate in diverse
manners. This labor of love lasted till his death in
1799 which means a time span of 47 years. In the
hindsight, one can imagine how serious President
Washington was devoted and involved in this gigantic
undertaking. All these years he kept transforming and
reshaping this remarkable place according to his
vision and cherished designs and models.
George Washington was fond of finer choices. Being
gifted with immense innovative talent, profuse
excellence and deep urge, he initiated a process of
renovations, recreations, expansion, rehabilitation in
accordance with his taste and temperament and indeed
idealism. From a vast farmland and a few old style
huts and structures, George Washington converted it
into an abiding fun place and a charming touristic
attraction and as one of the most visited historical
attractions for the coming generations.
In this vast, salubrious and green landscape, one can
find the eye catching 21 rooms main residence, a vast
and spacious green circular lawn in front, the upper
gardens, the lower gardens, the fruit gardens and
nursery, the slave memorial, the pioneer farm, 16
sided barn and the forest trail. All this
multi-faceted spectacle looks like a fairyland as if
the angels and fairies were flying in the air
invisibly. The fantastic distillery and gristmill,
purely the amazing invention of GW himself are located
2.7 miles far from the main complex.
Mount Vernon's main residential building is a unique
structure with three stories.it is in rectangular
shape with front and back verandas. In a relatively
primitive environment some 150 years ago this house
must have been a Marvel although then it was not as
spacious as it looks now. Yet it is still a marvel of
construction and would remain so for the posterity for
its beauty, elegance, scenic beauty and dazzling
vastness and immaculately preserved household things,
furnishings, beds, furniture, rugs, chest, tables,
wall hangings and other artifacts. The bulk of these
precious relics and invaluable articles are kept in
the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center
located within the periphery of the estate.
Undoubtedly Mount Vernon is a spectacular national
heritage, a lofty monument and a living witness to the
history of United States in making. The visitors
however, should not think that the existing
constellation of buildings including President George
Washington's personal residence somehow bears close
resemblance to the original structures. Most of these
have either been massively overhauled, renovated or
rebuilt. But to a great degree, the dimensions remain
the same as these existed when Georg Washington died.
About a dozen structures are in original form.
This article would remain incomplete without a brief
mention of the gigantic river Potomac. As already
mentioned the Mount Vernon mansion and estate is built
atop on the bank of River Potomac. The Potomac River
watershed covers the District of Columbia and parts of
four states. In a way it looks like a dividing line
between three states namely Maryland, Virginia and
Washington D.C. It is a life line for the inhabitants
in all these states through which it runs its course.
Potomac River is the fourth largest river along the
Atlantic coast of the United States and the 21st
largest in the United States. It covers a distance of
405 miles from its origin Fairfax Stone to the final
destination the Chesapeake Bay, located along the
mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. An average
486 million US gallons (1,840,000 m3) of water per day
is withdrawn daily in the Washington area for water
supply.
We should generously appreciate and applaud the "Mount
Vernon Ladies Association" providing abundant
information facilities to enlighten and bring into
sharp and detailed focus, the life of the first
president of the United States and his family. One
would be certainly adequately knowledgeable and
well-informed after watching and attending the
programs presented and the artifacts exhibited at
Donald W. Reynolds Museum, and Education Center,
Robert H. & Clarice Smith Auditorium and Ford
Orientation Center. There are such facilities as gift
and book shops, Food court, the Mount Vernon Inn and
National Library provided in a covered and decently
kept covered Mall.
A detailed colorful brochure published by the
management for the information and guidance of the
visitors is available at the tickets' counter and
other places. However, there is a glaring lacuna in
this folder. For instance, incredibly, there are no
exclusive pictures of the front and rear portions of
the Mount Vernon residence. One wonders how this
essential feature could be missed by the organizers,
who otherwise are managing this national monument with
enormous zeal, laudable professionalism and exemplary
dedication. Also is missing the contact phone number
of "Mount Vernon Ladies Association".
Moreover while this whole estate is an amazing feast
for the eyes, it would have been desirable if there
was a mural or a signboard giving a crisp chronology
of the various steps and important phases to enlighten
the tourists as to how this estate was developed with
the passage of time? Such a signboard or a plaque
should have erected outside the shops or main entrance
or at the start of the circular "Bowling Garden". A
brief and one glance list of events and dates would be
more handy and beneficial.
After visiting this amazing site one undergoes a tinge
of sad feelings also. Undoubtedly, although the
buildings, the gardens, the, cities the citadels and
countries created by human beings survive and last on
earth, yet their creators and the owners have to pass
away. This irreversible phenomenon and fact reminds us
that humans are mortal and have to leave behind
whatever they possess and create with hard work or
ingenuity or out of sheer passion. In case of Mount
Vernon, this priceless, abiding and larger than life
legacy of iconic father of the American nation, George
Washington would last interminably and keep inspiring
and giving hope to the successive generations like a
beacon or the morning star.
The writer is a senior journalist, former editor of
Diplomatic Times and a former diplomat. His blog is
www.uprightopinion.com
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