I was watching the PBS "United in Song" Broadcast last New Year's Eve. The background of the show was in Mount Vernon-the home and plantation estate of George Washington.
The PBS show
reminded me of our visit to this historic place and landmark when
Macrine( RIP) and I were still residing in Maryland.
It
was a whole day trip from our residence. It was very educational and we
had a memorable visit to the home and plantation of the Martha and
George Washington -The First Lady and President of the US. Here are two
videos for your viewing pleasure.
Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of George Washington, the first President of the United States, and his wife, Martha Washington. The estate is on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, near Alexandria, across from Prince George's County, Maryland. The Washington family had owned land in the area since 1674. Around 1734, they embarked on an expansion of the estate that continued under George Washington, who began leasing the estate in 1754 but did not become its sole owner until 1761.
The mansion was built of wood in a loose Palladian style; the original house was built by George Washington's father Augustine, around 1734. George Washington expanded the house twice, once in the late 1750s and again in the 1770s. It remained Washington's home for the rest of his life. Following his death in 1799, under the ownership of several successive generations of the family, the estate progressively declined as revenues were insufficient to maintain it adequately. In 1858, the house's historical importance was recognized and it was saved from ruin by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association; this philanthropic organization acquired it together with part of the Washington property estate. Escaping the damage suffered by many plantation houses during the American Civil War, Mount Vernon was restored.
Mount Vernon was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is still owned and maintained in trust by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and is open every day of the year. Allowing the public to see the estate is not an innovation, but part of an over 200-year-old tradition started by George Washington himself. In 1794 he wrote: "I have no objection to any sober or orderly person's gratifying their curiosity in viewing the buildings, Gardens, &ca. about Mount Vernon."
As of 2020, the estate had received more than 85 million visitors. In addition to the mansion, visitors can see original and reconstructed outbuildings and barns (including slaves' quarters), an operational blacksmith shop, and the Pioneer Farm. Each year on Christmas Day, Aladdin the Christmas Camel recreates Washington's 1787 hiring of a camel for 18 shillings to entertain his guests with an example of the animal that brought the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem to visit the newborn Jesus.
Mount Vernon remains a privately owned property. The non-profit Mount Vernon Ladies' Association has not received any funds from the federal government to support the restoration and maintenance of the mansion and the estate's 500-acre (2.0 km2) grounds or its educational programs and activities.
The association derives its income from charitable donations and the sales of tickets, produce and goods to visitors. These enable the Association to continue its mission "to preserve, restore, and manage the estate of George Washington to the highest standards and to educate visitors and people throughout the world about the life and legacies of George Washington, so that his example of character and leadership will continue to inform and inspire future generations." Admission to Mount Vernon is free on Presidents' Day (the third Monday of February) and on George Washington's birthday (February 22).
1956 issue
In 1956, a 1.5-cent stamp within the Liberty Issue of U.S. postage stamps memorialized Mount Vernon as a national shrine. The Liberty Issue was originally planned to honor six presidents, six famous Americans, and six historic national shrines. The Mount Vernon stamp, which featured a view of Washington's home facing the Potomac River, was the issue's first that commemorated a shrine.
Mount Vernon was put on the tentative list for World Heritage Site status in the early 2000s. It was submitted but failed to get approved. In 2014, Mount Vernon awarded its first Cyrus A. Ansary Prize for Courage and Character to former President George H. W. Bush.
For details visit:https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-tombs/
Note: This is #1 on the series: Art Museums and Historical Landmarks that Macrine(RIP) and I had visited in our younger years.
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