When an item is lost or found on Mount Vernon property:
- Items which are found at Mount Vernon are held by our Guest Services staff for a period of 7 days.
- A guest who has lost an item may provide a description of the item, location where it was last seen, and contact details on a form provided at mountvernon.org/lost.
- If the item has been turned in to our staff, we will gladly return it to you by postal mail.
- Subsequent questions may be emailed to lostandfound@mountvernon.org.
- Any items brought onto the property are the responsibility of the guest. Mount Vernon is not responsible for loss, theft or damage of personal belongings.
Lost Item Form
“General Washington’s compliments to General Howe. He does himself the pleasure to return him a dog, which accidentally fell into his hands, and by the inscription on the Collar appears to belong to General Howe.”
Following the Battle of Germantown, General Washington found a stray dog which was wearing a collar bearing the name of its owner, British General William Howe. Although General Howe was his opponent on the field of battle, Washington expressed a desire to do the proper thing, return the dog, and did so with a polite note.