Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon was the plantation home of George Washington, the first President of the United States. It is located near Alexandria, Virginia. The house was designed by Washington and built of wood in 1757. It is in the neoclassical Georgian architectural style. Mount Vernon is on the banks of the Potomac River. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned and maintained in trust by The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. It is open every day of the year. Mount Vernon is on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites in the United States.^[1]

The property was long called Little Hunting Creek Plantation but Lawrence Washington, George's older half-brother, renamed it for Edward Vernon, his commander in the Royal Navy. Laurence died in 1753 and George eventually inherited the estate.

Gallery

Eastern facade facing the Potomac
House and grounds seen from the Potomac

Mount Vernon Media

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 eastern façade, facing the Potomac River
Garden at Mount Vernon, home of George Washington
Mount Vernon (1796) with the Washington family on the terrace (Benjamin Henry Latrobe)
Washington out on the plantation, with Mount Vernon in background, by Junius Brutus Stearns (1851)
Map of the estate, drawn by Washington
Red Devon bull at Mount Vernon
Washington family tomb at Mount Vernon.
Sarcophagi of Martha (left) and George (right) Washington at the entrance to the family mausoleum.
Mount Vernon