When the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association purchased the estate in the 19th century, only a small selection of objects belonging to George and Martha Washington remained.
In the spring of 1858, John Augustine Washington III agreed to sell the Mansion and 200 acres of adjoining land to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association for $200,000. In 1860, John and his family relinquished the Mansion keys to Ann Pamela Cunningham.
Three iconic objects were part of this original acquisition:
The Key to the Bastille
The Key to the Bastille was presented as a gift to General Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette. Washington prominently displayed the key as a "token of victory by Liberty over Despotism" in the Central Passage.
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Terrestrial Floor Globe
Four months after taking office, President Washington directed his London agents, "to send me ... a terrestrial globe of the largest dimensions and of the most accurate and approved kind now in use." After the presidency, Washington placed it in his Study at Mount Vernon.
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Houdon Bust
Considered to be the most accurate likeness of George Washington, the original terra-cotta bust was made by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon at Mount Vernon in 1785 and can be seen today in the Museum.
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Furnishing Mount Vernon
After inheriting a nearly empty home, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association faced the tall task of recreating the Mansion's interior—room by room.
Collections
Collections Online
Check out Mount Vernon's remarkable collection of Washington and Mount Vernon objects and artifacts.