“Very hot and sultry; indeed extremely so. A small breeze from the Southwd.”
– George Washington, June 27, 1769
Many of us can hardly fathom life before air-conditioning, especially in the heat of a Virginia summer. In the 18th-century world of Martha and George Washington, beating the summer heat meant employing a handful of methods and tricks—some of which are quite surprising and creative.
At Mount Vernon, the Washingtons kept their cool by …
1. Catching a River Breeze
The Mansion’s position on a bluff above the Potomac River was an enormous blessing in the summer months, as cool breezes regularly rolled off the river (and still do). The benefits of these breezes could be maximized by opening the Mansion’s windows or adjusting its shutters to regulate the sun, depending on the time of day.
2. Opening the Doors of the Central Passage
Bookended by two doors opening to the west and east fronts of the Mansion, the Central Passage becomes a welcome, breezy refuge when both doors are opened in the summertime.
3. Utilizing the Cupola
George Washington added this architectural feature, generally found on public buildings, to the Mansion in part to help cool the house. Aligned above the central staircase, the Cupola tower, with its windows open, would draw out hot air and create a draft through the Mansion—essentially an 18th-century air-conditioning system!
Virtual Tour
Journey up the cupola on our virtual tour.
4. Relaxing on the Piazza
The two-story piazza is arguably the Mansion's most distinctive architectural feature. Extending the full length of the back of the house, it also has a practical function — catching the river breezes on a hot and humid Virginia day. The Washingtons treated the piazza as an outdoor room, serving afternoon tea here to visitors and family members seated in simple Windsor chairs.
A guest visiting from Philadelphia in June of 1796 recorded that tea was offered at seven in the evening and, probably because of the summer heat, was taken on the piazza or, as she described it, “the large and magnificent Portico at the back of the house where the tea equipage was paraded in order.” 1
The piazza, shown from the south, is captured in this undated photograph. (MVLA)
"Clear & the Sun very hot but a pleasant breeze from the Westwd."
- Diary of George Washington, July 22, 1771
5. Eating Lighter (and Colder) Foods
The Washingtons ate lighter meals during the summer months, complete with fresh fruits and vegetables from their own garden—plums, pears, strawberries, figs, peaches, and artichokes just to name a few. Mount Vernon’s enslaved community even sold some fruits and vegetables to Washington for his family’s use.
The ultimate cold delicacy at Mount Vernon was ice cream. The inventory of Mount Vernon completed shortly after Washington’s death lists two pewter ice cream pots and another eight of tin. The large number of ice cream pots suggests that this was a favored dessert at Mount Vernon.
The summertime table at Mount Vernon might've looked like this, with ice cream alongside fresh plums, pears, tarts, nuts, and dried fruits. (MVLA)
6. Storing Ice
So how did the Washingtons manage to cool their food and drinks in warm weather? By storing away ice in the winter.
Washington’s ice house is essentially a deep dry well dug into the steep riverbank above the Potomac River. In the dead of winter, many of Washington’s enslaved workers had less to do in the fields, so he sent them out in boats to cut blocks from the floating ice in the Potomac. The blocks were then dragged up the hillside, deposited into the well, and insulated with straw, sod, and sawdust.
Depending on the year, this method could provide the Washington family with ice well into the summer.
Records imply that Washington was very strongly encouraged to safeguard ice by his wife Martha, who wrote in 1793, “In the warm season, ice is the most agreeable thing we can have.”
7. Dressing for Summer
To offset extreme summer heat, the Washington family wore lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing made from natural fibers like cotton and linen, which allowed for air circulation and helped to keep them cool.
A set of breeches in Mount Vernon’s collections illustrates Washington’s typical summer wear. Washington would have likely worn this pair of breeches with a matching cotton waistcoat as he surveyed his farms in the morning, only to change into more formal day wear when he returned to the Mansion to greet or entertain guests.
Enslaved field workers received two suits of clothes per year — one for summer and one for winter. In 1788, Washington ordered "A kind of Rolls Proper for summer Petticoats and Trousers," illustrating that in the summer, women received a linen petticoat, while men received a pair of trousers or breeches.
Washington would have likely worn this pair of cotton and linen breeches with a matching cotton waistcoat as he surveyed his farms in the morning. (MVLA)
8. Breaking Out the Accessories
As remembered by his step-grandson George Washington Parke Custis (Washy), Washington took pains to protect himself from the summer sun. “Being naturally of a very fair complexion,” Washy wrote, “his skin was liable to be affected by the influence of the sun."2
Washy goes on to describe the General touring his farms while wearing a “broad-brimmed white hat” and “carrying an umbrella with a long staff, which is attached to his saddle-bow.”
9. Adjusting Bedding
The enslaved house servants replaced the white dimity curtains from the Washingtons’ bedstead with a shield of mosquito netting. This lightweight material protected against mosquitoes and other pests while still allowing cool night breezes to pass through during the sweltering summers along the Potomac.
10. Engineering
Though not somewhere the Washingtons would spend much time, the Mansion’s cellar was designed to be a chilly storage space. Documentary records, including the inventory of Washington’s estate that was made after his death in December 1799, indicate that a variety of supplies and foodstuffs were stored in the cellar. Wine, whiskey, and brandy were stored in at least one of the vaults, and foods such as turnips, potatoes, butter, beef, and pork were placed in the cellar as well.
Washington also designed and installed a system of brick stormwater drains to run underground in the cellar. This not only served irrigation purposes but also contributed to lowering the cellar’s temperature. To this day, the cellar maintains a temperature around 50 degrees.
During Washington's time, a variety of supplies and foodstuffs were stored in the cool cellar. (MVLA)
A member of Mount Vernon's Archaeology team inspects a subterranean brick drain running through the Mansion's cellar. (MVLA)
11. Pedaling a Fan Chair
While in Philadelphia attending the Constitutional Convention in 1787, George Washington purchased a fan chair. Its current whereabouts are unknown, but this version likely resembles the original.
Invented in 1786, the mechanism consisted of a treadle below the sitter's feet that moved the fan suspended above the chair.
Washington later installed his chair in his study at Mount Vernon.
12. Fanning Oneself
When all else fails, take matters into your own hands.
Martha Washington is known to have been particularly fond of fans, purchasing at least 28 for herself between 1755 and 1793. The below example, likely acquired during George Washington's presidency, features a shield-shaped cartouche depicting the triumph of Liberty, who is personified as a young woman in classical dress carrying a pole with a Phrygian cap. It’s worth noting, however, that such a fine, decorative fan would have been used by Mrs. Washington on formal, dress occasions, as a fashion accessory—so its use was not limited to the summer.
While in Philadelphia attending the Constitutional Convention in 1787, George Washington purchased a fan chair. (MVLA)
Footnotes
1. Elizabeth Wescott to Patience Wescott, June 27, 1796, in Baker, “Home Life at Mount Vernon.”
2. George Washington Parke Custis, Recollections, 1860. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Recollections_and_Private_Memoirs_of_Was/1UYzAQAAMAAJ?hl=en
Plan Your Visit
Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington, D.C.
Plan Your Visit