MT VERNON – a day with George and Martha

Friday – Today is our visit to Mount Vernon – home of George and Martha Washington and their family.  THIS day is going according to plan!  We all had a good night’s sleep – the trains did not keep us awake and deciding to skip our Maccas brekky we hit the road!

It is an early start and no coffee or food in our tummies does not make for ideal travelling but it is only a 25 minute drive and we look forward to a Mt Vernon brekky.  It is a nice drive along the Memorial Highway and we arrive in a large car park (must be popular in the tourist season).  Parking the car – a short walk to the front entrance – but we decide to grab something to eat.  The restaurant is not open but the Food Court is, so in we go.  A cafeteria style eatery, there are several outlets that offer coffee – juice – pastries – bagels etc all reasonably priced.  Unfortunately no muffins so I have bagels and vegemite (yep, brought it with me).  The grounds open at 9am so after eating we amble on back over to the Texas Gate (pictured right) which is the main entrance to Mount Vernon.

Kylie has already purchased our tickets online to avoid the queue – but there is hardly any queue at the moment – most probably the crowds will start to arrive soon.  Through a small walkway to the main entrance and yep there’s a queue – but not bad.

The entrance foyer in the Ford Orientation Centre (Visitor’s Centre) has life-size statues of the Washington family who are eager to welcome us.  We are told there is a short film on Washington and it is recommended so that we get a better understanding of the man.  The movie ‘We Fight to be Free’ is produced by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association and even though it is short in duration, it is a vivid illustration of the defining moments that made George Washington an indispensable leader.

Washington takes command of British forces during the French and Indian War, and later leading the Army across the icy Delaware River. It also includes Washington’s first encounter with the widow Martha Custis and his return home to Mount Vernon after resigning his military commission at the end of the war.  I thoroughly recommend this film to everyone who visits Mount Vernon.

Back through the Centre and then out into the grounds.  Following the pathway we arrive at Bowling Green Gate – aptly named due to the large grass expanse on the other side called Bowling Green which is a large area of lawn in front of the Mansion.  I can imagine George on horse arriving here in the dead of Winter.  The first view we get of the Mansion is this picture.  So let’s go discover.

There are not many people – some schools doing the excursion thing – so we line up on the left of the Mansion under the autumn trees and it doesn’t take long before we go through.  Entry is through the servants’ hall built in 1775 and  connected to the Mansion by colonnades built around 1778.

There are no photos allowed once inside – but we can take photos as we walk along the colonnade. The servants hall is very sparse and it is hard to imagine how on earth anyone worked under these conditions.  Once through this building we are back outside and heading for the rear of the Mansion which overlooks the Potomac River.

As the queue is slow moving there is time for me to wander around and experience some Kodak moments.  Sure is one hell of a view.

The weather is just like Summer – hot and sunny and the vivid blue sky is glistening upon the water.  What a great place to sit and reflect in the late afternoon, which brings me to the Piazza.  There are chairs set out – obviously for groups that may hold their meetings or events here.

The small door is our entrance point – so back in line and we are soon at the central passage – the entryway into the Washingtons’ home, the place where visitors who pulled up on the drive in front of the house were greeted. Unfortunately we are greeted at the back entrance – makes you wonder what they think of tourists, but holding my head high I am told by the well-learned guide that in the hot Virginia Summer most of the entertaining plus all the family gatherings were held here so that they could enjoy the breezes from the open doorways.   That makes me feel better.

The rooms off to either side are roped off but we can still get a good view. If you want more information on them you can click here for a room by room description.  Seeing no photos allowed – we will progress through. Once we have viewed the First Floor rooms we proceed up the staircase to the next level which is mainly bedrooms – including the Washingtons’ Bedchamber.

In this very room on 14th December 1799 George Washington died of a severe throat infection. Upon his death, Martha closed the room and, for the remaining several years of her life, spent much of her time in a bedchamber on the third floor.

Our tour time of the house takes about 40 minutes so now we have the remainder of the day to explore the vast estate before we have to take our car back to Budget.  We exit through the colonnade on the right side of the house – view the kitchen where all the food was prepared – and then into the open spaces.  We decide to proceed along this roadway and head towards the wharf and river.

Past the wash house and coach house we arrive at the stables.  Washington was an excellent horseman and loved horses.  Isn’t that a fabulous coach?  I especially love the driver’s seat way up in the air so that he could see any obstacles on the road.  Even though it looks great I have a feeling it wasn’t very comfortable by today’s standards then again the roads would be practically non existent.

The stables have several stalls and many saddles (gathering dust).  Close to the stables and across the road is the dung house which is self explanatory.  Well, it had to go somewhere before the gardens I should imagine.

Onto the Lower Garden.  An excellent example of a Colonial Revival garden representing a formal English kitchen garden, it continues to produce vegetables as it did more than 200 years ago.

Unfortunately due to the time of year, nothing much is growing but come Spring/Summer it should be in full production.  As you can see there are seating benches all around the place so that is a good idea when so much walking is involved.  Just sitting here is a pleasure within itself.

Enjoying the blue skies and an occasional bird song we get our energy back and head to the Old Tomb. We are walking downhill so that is good and in no time we arrive at what is called ‘The Old Vault’.  George and Martha along with twenty others were originally buried in the Old Vault.  A new vault – much bigger and made of brick was built and the members were moved there in 1831.  As we are quietly sitting – an idiot turns up. Yep, there is always one.  He goes to the door, fiddles with the handle and then knocks on the door.  Dumbfounded we chuckle as he seems to be seriously trying to get in.  What would be a good holiday treat would be for someone to be in there and then throw open the door for this fool.

Down to the Wharf and there doesn’t seem to be much of a breeze on the Potomac.  It has turned out really hot so just as well we have our hats and sunscreen as we have left the cover of the trees and there is no shade along here.

Visitors arriving at Mount Vernon by boat had to first land at the Mount Vernon wharf.  What a quaint old place that has been kept in excellent condition.  For today’s travellers there are cruises on modern boats that you can take if you so choose.

We walk along the edge and take more photos and then proceed to the Pioneer Farm. On our way there is a lady dressed in period costume making an apple pie the way it was made in Washington’s days.  Apples, cloves and cinnamon and it looks and smells wonderful.  Alas – it is not for the public, it is for all the workers at the farm who are just about to go to lunch.  Well, that’s a bummer I must say! No amount of begging or bribery will change her mind so we sulk away with the aroma of the pie still lingering.

George’s initial interest in farming was driven by his own needs to earn a living and improve Mount Vernon but in later years he realized his leadership and experimentation could assist all farmers.  Initially growing tobacco as his cash crop, he soon realized that it was not sustainable and in 1766 he switched to grains, particularly wheat.  Washington read the latest works on agriculture and implemented the new husbandry methods using a variety of fertilization methods and crop rotation plans on his five farms.

There are also paddocks for livestock and at the end of the long pathway is a sixteen sided barn which will be our next stop.

We are lucky enough to find the ‘barn keeper’ still there, albeit getting ready for lunch but he still gives us plenty of time to look around and have a chat with us.  He tells us that the barn is used to separate grain from stalk by horses treading around the wooden floor.  The horses walk up the outside ramp and then when treading the stalks the grain falls between the gaps between the floorboards so that the heads of grain, once separated from the straw, would fall through to a granary below.  How ingenious of George!

After about 15 minutes we tell our new friend that he better head off for lunch as there is a wonderful fresh apple pie waiting for him.

We have realised that we are now at the bottom of the hill and it is time to walk back up.  Nevermind, we retrace our path back to the beginning of the Pioneer Farm, take our time and start our ascent.  The pathways are all shaded by the wonderful trees and there are plenty of benches upon which to rest and take more photos.  Even though the day is hot the shade from the trees is refreshingly cool and it seems to be in no time we are at the Slave Memorial.

Opened in 1983, the Mount Vernon Slave Memorial commemorates the lives of the many slaves that lived and toiled at Mount Vernon. The Memorial stands adjacent to the Association’s 1929 marker noting the site of the 200-year old slave burial ground, which reads, “In memory of the many faithful colored servants of the Washington family buried at Mount Vernon from 1760 to 1860. Their unidentified graves surround this spot.”

About one in every four working slaves was a skilled worker such as the blacksmith, carpenter or shoemaker.  The majority of women worked in the fields but some filled positions of spinner, weaver, cook and house servant.  When George passed, he wrote ‘it is my Will and desire that all the Slaves which I hold in my own right, shall receive their freedom’.

Next stop and a short distance away is Washington’s Tomb. There are not many people here so time to take our photos first and then pay our respects.  Over the entrance to the tomb is a stone inscribed ”Within this Enclosure Rest the remains of Gen.l George Washington.’  Behind the iron gates of the vault are two marble sarcophagi, one inscribed “Washington,” the other “Martha, Consort of Washington.”

There are special wreath laying ceremonies at 10am and 2pm – we are too late for one and too early for another.  Looking around we do not see any wreaths so maybe they are not being done today??  Sitting in the shade for a while – the tourists start to arrive so it is time for us to move on.

This is the fruit garden and nursery.  The four acre area was put to use growing of course different types of fruit trees.

Apples, peaches and other fruits were needed in the kitchen while vegetables, grains and pasture grasses were grown and allowed to go to seed, providing the necessary seed for the next season’s planting.

Hedging plants, boxwood and trees were also grown and nurtured here until they reached a size to be transplanted to a permanent location.  Washington sure made use of every inch of this property.  We now retrace our steps back past the stables and kitchen and arrive at the small buildings that housed many other duties at Mount Vernon.

The Gardener’s House (above left) was built in 1775 as a hospital.  By the size of it not many people got sick!  In 1793 is was then given over to the gardener and in 1799 a young man was recruited from Scotland as the Mount Vernon gardener and Washington promised him that he would have a good ‘apartment’ to live in which would be close to his work.  So he ended up here!

Above right is the Salt House.  Yet another tiny building that was designated to house the salt supplies.  Not too sure whether that white powder is salt or dust!

Next to these buildings is the Spinning Room.  Washington produced a breed of sheep to produce better quality wool, grew flax and hemp for making linen cloth and rope and experimented with cotton and silk.  However, the finer materials like table linens and clothing were still imported from England.

These are tiny, tiny places, so it is good to now walk around the open space of the Botanical Garden.

Of course, nothing much is growing now – heading into Winter but it is still well kept.  Washington often tended his experimental garden with his own hands.

Unfamiliar and exotic plants would be tested here and then when he thought that they might do well he transplanted them into the fields or groves. This is a garden of chilis and mangelwurzel. Look that one up in Wikipedia!  Certainly doesn’t look like anything I would like to eat!

The Blacksmith’s domain is our next stop.  Blacksmithing was an important craft activity throughout most of the Washington family’s ownership of the Mount Vernon plantation.  Today there are two Smithys at work making hooks, hinges and horse-shoes that will be offered for sale in the Souvenir Shop, which will no doubt, be near the exit.  Looks like hot work to me and the workers are very good explaining to everyone how and why they make what they are making.  They tell us that the hooks and hinges can be a bit boring – they like the intricate work and I can understand that but hooks and hinges are what people want to buy.

We are nearing the end of our walk and we pass the slave quarters.  Most Virginia slaves lived in single or double family cabins,  the unusual barrack style bunk rooms were useful here because most of the 59 male slaves who worked at the Mansion House Farm were either single men or men whose jobs required them to live away from their families six days a week.  Most of this cabin’s occupants worked from dawn to dusk so after sunset the bunk room grew crowded with ten to twenty men sleeping here – sometimes more sleeping two per bunk.  Certainly no privacy was expected if you were unfortunate to be one of the occupants.

Back into the sunshine and happiness and we walk into the Upper Garden.

What a wonderful area.  This is the most decorative and well-ordered of all the gardens.  Pleasing to the eye, they provided food for the Mansion’s table.  Eighteenth-century visitors were delighted by bountiful offerings of fresh vegetables and fruits, and revelled in after-dinner walks amongst all manner of flowering plants.

There are not many flowering plants today, but just walking around is pleasure enough.  After taking enough photos and exploring the ins and outs of the garden it is time to say goodbye.

Back around the path, through the Bowling Green Gate and we head to the Museum.  Over 500 objects are on display here and they provide a very interesting insight into George and Martha’s personal life.

There is also a display of Washington at Valley Forge and his inauguration as the First President of the United States.  With those visions in mind we head to the exit and yep, you guessed it – the Mount Vernon shops.  I find a copy of the DVD ‘We fight to be Free’  and of course the usual fridge magnet.

Our visit to Mount Vernon has been wonderful but now it is back to the city as we have to return our car.  That in itself is an adventure.  The car rental place – Budget – is situated at Union Sation – easey peasey you say – but there is no sign that is easily visible on whereabouts the returns are.  Around and around we go – until we see a tiny sign on the right that says ‘Car Rental Returns’.  To cut a long story short – we return the car and then have to get back to the hotel.  Hailing a taxi – I think we end up with Crazy Joe.  Of course there is a load of traffic but Crazy Joe keeps on honking the horn and talking to himself.  We are getting nowhere fast so we decide to hop out – $7 for about a 2 km ride – and then walk to the hotel which is about 10 minute journey.

We are not going anywhere tonight so it is a quick chicken and salad burger meal, shower and then get into bed.  We are going to begin our museum montage tomorrow which means more history – I can hardly wait.

Highlight of the day – walking the peaceful pathways of Mount Vernon