Mount Vernon Blog

Friday, June 14, 2019

During the summer of 2018, I was fortunate to visit Mount Vernon for the first time as part of the George Washington Teacher Institute Residential Program (GWTI), a professional development program for teachers around the country. During our time at the estate, my fellow GWTI participants and I were immersed in lectures, discussions, and tours t...

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

by Kim Greer My experiences with Mount Vernon as a teaching resource began in 2005 when I first led a group of middle school students on an educational trip to Washington D.C. We visited Washington’s home and were fascinated by life there. I continue to visit Mount Vernon every other year with students, but as their online resources have grown,...

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Mount Vernon’s interactive theater, Be Washington: It’s Your Turn to Lead, has been awarded the Thea Award of Outstanding Achievement in the museum experience, limited budget category from the Themed Entertainment Association. This award acknowledges excellence for the creation of compelling educational, historical and entertainment projects and...

Wednesday, April 03, 2019

by Greg Werkheiser, CEO of ARtGlass

Monday, March 25, 2019

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

George Washington’s Rye Whiskey®, the official state spirit of the Commonwealth of Virginia, received a silver medal at the 2019 American Craft Spirits Association Awards earlier this year—a top award among white (unaged) whiskies nationwide. The unaged rye whiskey was made from Washington's original recipe using 18th-century methods and equipme...

Monday, February 18, 2019

George and Martha Washington's front parlor is now opened to the public after a multi-year restoration. Visitors can see the newly restored and refurnished room on their Mansion tour. The entertainment space features a new paint color and striking upholstery dyed "Saxon blue". While none of the original pieces survives, the curatorial team worke...

Friday, February 15, 2019

In Mount Vernon’s collection, more than 50 examples of George Washington’s hair are preserved inside frames, paper, and jewelry. Some pieces of jewelry containing Washington’s hair were made before or immediately after his death, most were made in later periods. Public displays of hair from friends or loved ones peaked in the 19th century, but h...

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

by Zerah Jakub, Manager of Education Communication and Outreach One of the focuses of the Mount Vernon Education Department is finding ways to bring George Washington into classrooms around the country. We do this by providing teachers with professional development training opportunities, with classroom resources, and through our digital presenc...

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Photo Credit: Gavin Ashworth by Caroline Spurry, Architectural Historian The architecture of a room, particularly its form and finishes, can provide a great deal of information about the function of the space within a building. Form and function in gentry houses experienced a marked evolution in the 18th century. The evolution of Mount Vernon’s ...