George Washington Dies
Two years after serving as the first president of the United States, George Washington dies at age 67 on December 14. By the terms of Washington’s will, the first president grants his wife Martha “the use, profit and benefit of my whole Estate, real and personal, for the term of her natural life.”
A Shrine of Remembrance
George Washington is remembered and revered across the United States. Visitors flock to Mount Vernon, where extended Washington family receive those who wish to see where the illustrious general, president, and founding father lived and is buried.
Martha Washington Dies
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington dies at age 70 at Mount Vernon.
Bushrod's Ownership
Mount Vernon ownership, including the Mansion and approximately four thousand acres of surrounding land, transfers to Washington’s nephew, Supreme Court Justice Bushrod Washington. Unfortunately, Bushrod did not share his uncle's passion or skill for farming, and the estate began to fall into disrepair. Sightseers also contributed to the physical decline of the Mansion and the surrounding grounds.
Independence Hall
Following the transfer of Pennsylvania’s state capital to Lancaster in 1799, Independence Hall is threatened by development. The city of Philadelphia purchases the landmark to save it from demolition.
Death of Bushrod
Bushrod Washington dies, having made modifications to the Mansion (including a porch on the south façade and balustrade to the piazza roof) and erecting a host of structures on the landscape (including porters’ lodges at the west gate entrance and a gazebo on the east lawn). His nephew, John Augustine Washington II, inherits Mount Vernon.
The New Tomb
In accordance with Washington’s will, a new family burial vault is completed, and Washington’s body, along with the remains of Martha Washington and other family members, is transferred to the New Tomb.
Jane Charlotte Blackburn Washington Ownership
John Augustine Washington II dies, passing ownership of Mount Vernon to his wife Jane Charlotte Blackburn Washington.
Greenhouse Fire
A tremendous fire devastates Washington’s greenhouse and a portion of the enslaved living quarters.
John Augustine Washington III
John Augustine Washington III begins leasing Mount Vernon from his mother Jane Charlotte Blackburn Washington.
Ownership
John Augustine Washington III formally takes ownership of Mount Vernon. Though John Augustine was a motivated farmer, Mount Vernon's total acreage shrank to roughly 1,200 acres from a height of 8,000 acres during George Washington's lifetime, and the remaining farmland is not enough to adequately sustain the Washingtons. John Augustine eventually reversed Bushrod's decision to ban steamboats and entered into a contract with a company that provided regular trips from Washington, D.C., three days a week.
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
Ann Pamela Cunningham of South Carolina founds the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (MVLA) with the intention to purchase Mount Vernon from John Augustine Washington III in order to preserve George Washington’s residence and to prevent its sale to land speculators. The MVLA becomes the nation’s first historic preservation organization, as well as one of the first national women’s organizations.
Purchasing Mount Vernon
John Augustine Washington III finds he is financially unable to maintain Mount Vernon given the demands of upkeeping the tourist destination. The now-iconic piazza is recorded to be supported by makeshift wooden posts. After soliciting the U.S. government and the Commonwealth of Virginia for support, Washington agrees to sell the Mansion and 200 acres of surrounding land to the MVLA for $200,000.
A New Era
On George Washington’s 128th birthday, February 22, the MVLA takes possession of the Mount Vernon estate. The effort represents the first campaign to preserve a former president's home, as well as the first to preserve an entire site (outbuildings, landscapes, and vistas) and not just the home.
Original Artifacts
John Augustine Washington III leaves behind a handful of original objects, including Jean Antoine Houdon’s famous lifelike sculpture of George Washington.
Caretakers
Ann Pamela Cunningham and her secretary, Sarah Tracy, take up residence and are joined by Upton Herbert, who is hired as superintendent and charged with executing the most critically needed repairs.
Demolition of Hancock Manor
Hancock Manor, the home of John Hancock, is torn down in Boston. This event galvanizes early historic preservation efforts in the Northeast and begins the impetus for the modern historic preservation movement.
The Civil War Concludes
Mount Vernon remained preserved during the conflict, thanks in part to Union and Confederate forces agreeing to restrict fighting at the estate and laying down their arms when touring the property.
Furnishing the Mansion
The Vice Regent for New Jersey from 1868 until 1891, Nancy Wade Halsted challenged the Ladies to furnish each room in the Mansion. Eighteenth-century pieces were to be used wherever possible, with more recent Greek Revival and Victorian furnishings filling the gaps. Many decades would pass before the Association could furnish all rooms with original Washington pieces or very similar examples.
Paint Pioneers
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association becomes the first preservation society to use paint reveals in order to identify original paint colors in the Mansion.
See For Yourself
Visit Mount Vernon to explore the legacy of George Washington and to see the ongoing preservation efforts of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
Plan Your Visit