10 Discoveries from Mount Vernon's First Guidebook

Today the majority of our guests arrive via automobile and pass through the Texas Gate.  However, in the mid-to-late 1800s, the fastest way to travel to Mount Vernon was steamship.  

The steamboat Arrow left from the 7th street wharf in Washington, D.C. at 10 AM and then returned around 5 PM to D.C. allowing guests several hours to explore the estate.  

Guests today can make the same trip leaving from the D.C. Waterfront, National Harbor, Maryland, or Alexandria, Virginia.

Today most guests want to first visit the Mansion upon their arrival.  However, for guests arriving in the mid-to-late 1800s, Washington's final resting place, the New Tomb, was their first visit.

Mount Vernon’s Superintendent at the time, James Hollingsworth, greeted guests and escorted them to the Washington Tomb to pay respect to the commander-in-chief and first president of the United States of America.

• See Who's Buried at the Washington Tomb
• Discovery Famous Visitors to Washington's Tomb
• Attend Our Daily Wreath Laying Ceremonies

When the MVLA purchased Mount Vernon from the Washington family it was unfurnished.  The Vice Regents who made up the MVLA each represented an individual state. Each was tasked with furnishing the rooms in the Mansion.  As a result, the early names for these rooms were based on the state that the Vice Regent responsible for furnishing that room was from.

Today, Mount Vernon’s experts investigate and install furnishings in the Mansion and room names are based on what the Washingtons' called each space. 

• Alabama Room = Central Passage
• Connecticut Room = Northeast Garret Chamber
• Delaware Room = Hall Bedchamber
• District of Colombia Room = Garrett Bedchamber
• Florida Room = Southeast Garret Chamber
• Georgia Room = Downstairs Bedchamber
• Maine Room = North Lumber Room
• Maryland Room = Chintz Room
• Massachusetts Room = Study
• Michigan Room = Central Passage
• New Jersey Room = Blue Room
• New York Room = New Room
• North Carolina Room = Northwest Garret Chamber
• Ohio Room = Little Parlor
• Pennsylvania Room = Lafayette Bedchamber
• South Carolina Room = Dining Room
• Virginia Room = Washington's Bedchamber
• West Virginia Room = Yellow Bedchamber
• Wisconsin Room = South Lumber Room

As a way to raise funds for the MVLA and the restoration of the Mount Vernon estate tea roses, named "Mary Washington", were raised and sold to visitors.  The association sold nearly three hundred per year.

The story was told that the rose was grown from "a seedling raised by General Washington and named for his mother".  

Flowers were sold in the newly reconstructed Greenhouse that was destroyed by fire in 1835.

Guest today can still take home historic plants and flowers from Mount Vernon.

• Heirloom Seeds are available to purchase
• Visit our Historic Plant and Garden Sale each year

An old maritime tradition on the Potomac River was that any steamer passing by Mount Vernon rang its bell in honor of Washington.  This tradition was still in practice during the late 19th century.

It's a tradition that actually helped to save Mount Vernon from ruin.  In 1853, Louise Byrd Cunningham of South Carolina was traveling by steamship down the Potomac River.   The captain rang the ships bell encouraging guests to have a look at the estate.

Louisa Byrd was so appalled by the condition of the Mansion that she wrote to her daughter, Ann Pamela Cunningham while on the journey and described the sad state.

Upon receiving the letter, Ann Pamela authored a letter in a local newspaper as "The Southern Matron" writing:

Why was it that the women of his country did not try to keep it in repair, if the men could not do it?

With this statement, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association was formed in 1853 and raised $200,000 to purchase the estate from the Washington family and another $100,000 to restore and maintain its condition.