Mount Vernon

Headed to Mount Vernon today! Got off to a later start than planned - I was not feeling well (more on that later) - but still well in advance of the mid-later day crowds I had been warned of. The home itself is BEAUTIFUL; I didn't know that it was originally a much smaller home willed to his elder half-brother upon their father's death. Upon settling into the home with his wife Martha and two young stepchildren (Martha was a widow), he added a third story to the home; he would later go on to add two expansions (wings) and the cuppola, which served as the air-conditioning of his time.
The interior of the home is breathtaking. Unfortunately, for preservation purposes (and because some of the artifacts are on loan), you can't photograph inside the home; I am very glad I bought the official guidebook, which goes through each room. One of the things I found absolutely fascinating was a key to the Bastille hanging in the entry passage; it was a gift from General Lafayette after the storming of the Bastille. I also found very interesting the fact that after George died (December 14, 1799), Martha had their bedroom sealed off and moved into another room of the home; she died in that room less than 3 years later.
They don't mention in a lot of the history books (at least not the ones I was taught from) that George Washington was quite a farmer and entrepreneur (and "nerd", as our tour guide called him; he loved to read and collect the latest "technology", including a chair in which you could move your feet on pedals to cause a fan over your head to blow). Much of the estate is dedicated to the farm; his principal crop was wheat, which was exported all over the world. They had a great number of farm animals, both to feed visitors to the estate and the large number of slaves they owned (316 - 123 were legally Washington's, 40 were "rented" from a neighbor, and 153 were "dower" slaves who were part of the estate of Martha's first husband. One thing I found tremendously interesting was that, upon his death, Washington's will immediately freed one of his slaves (for "his faithful services during the Revolutionary War" and stated that the remainder were to be freed upon his wife's death (she granted them freedom one year after her husband's death). The truly amazing part is that Washington's will established a regular and permanent fund for the emancipated slaves; his estate paid out pensions to its freed slaves until 1833, although many of them lived on the grounds for many years after.
Another "neat" thing about Mount Vernon is that it does not receive any funding from the U.S. Government. Instead, it is maintained by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association; a group of 12 women (the Ladies) purchased the mansion and 200 acres of surrounding property for $200,000 and began renovations (it had fallen into disrepair); there are now women on the Association from 27 states and an additional acreage has been purchased. Mount Vernon is funded entirely through admission fees, sales revenues, and donations.
After walking/hiking throughout the estate, I ate lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn restaurant. I had been told by several people that I HAD to try the peanut and chestnut soup (which didn't sound entirely appetizing, but I'll try just about any food once) - it was remarkable! After finishing lunch, I drove to the Distillery and Gristmill at Mount Vernon (several miles away from the estate itself). As previously mentioned, one of Washington's passions was farming; he was one of the premier flour-producers of his time. Because of his love of new technology (and interest in expanding his enterprise), he established the Gristmill in 1791; it featured bucket elevators to move wheat and flour from floor to floor and machinery that was part of one continuous system - very efficient! In 1797, he built the distillery; it produced 4,000 gallons of rye whiskey the first year and 11,000 its second. It was one of - if not THE - largest distilleries of the time. The distillery still produces whiskey using Washington's original recipe - I wanted to buy some to send to some people I know enjoy it - but found out you can't send it through the mail. Pooh!
I had originally planned to tour old Alexandria - another suggestion from many of the locals I have encountered - after visiting Mount Vernon, but my morning tummy/intestinal ache had worsened significantly during the tours and I knew it was time to head home for the day. After a long nap, I am currently sipping ginger ale (they have Canada Dry Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale here - love it) and hoping to feel better tomorrow. It's raining like crazy right now (one of the reasons I went ahead and toured today is because the weather service was saying there's a good chance of rain every day for the rest of the week); not sure of tomorrow's plans yet - we'll see how I feel (and how the weather is)!