The final weekend of my mom's two week stay we decided to trek out to Mount Vernon. (George Washington's house-doesn't sound as impressive, neither does Vernon Mound, or Washington hill but anyway). It was a gloriously sunny day, we really enjoyed walking around this beautiful estate. Liam pointed out numerous times how impressed he was - at the way mass consumerism was so seamless blended with a amazing natural setting. While I wanted to slap him, I had to agree, you can buy just about anything with George or Martha on it at Mount Vernon, and for surprisingly more than said thing may actually be worth.
BUT
The grand vision behind the original estate -minus food court, gifts shops, museum and theatre, makes me admire Washington as an architect, designer and generally neat guy. He built this place from a field and a four room single story farm house. And he didn't just bulldoze in a put it up in 7 days, he did this when it would have taken months and years to build things. I would love to see the drawings, you know: year one.....year two.... There is this whole bowling green in front of the house that was kept thick and short with shears and scissors. Liam and I barely manage to mow our lawn.
The mansion itself looks like stone but don't be fooled, stone was really expensive here at that time, so George used wood, painted it and threw sand on it. And he composted everything he could, even the out houses where on a system that went back a nourished his crops.
The views from the mansion are amazing, the picture of the girls is off the back of the mansion, looking over the Potomac river. It is a hike down to the river (hence Mount Vernon) where you the dock is, and some lemonade stands and possibly and hot dog stand. Luckily we visited the estate in the middle of winter (it was 12 degrees-we ate our lunch outside) so a lot of the tourist traps weren't open.
I have never thought about George Washington, and I still don't, not as a president anyway, but as a farmer who was incredibly creative and kind. I don't know why I think of him as kind, perhaps because he and Martha averaged 300 house guests a year while living in Mount Vernon -those are all overnighters, or because he built a dressing room in the room under his bedroom, because he woke earlier than his wife, or because he built these beautiful gardens.
It is really quite something, we will definitely return.
Don't forget the slaves, he let his slaves go when he didn't need them anymore.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there is that, I want to believe he was better than other slaves owners because he freed his in his will, but does that really make him better? I don't think so. It is great that he freed them but he could have done it before his death and helped them get going as freed black men and women, I wonder how many of his freed slaves were able to actually stay free? Slaves were permitted to marry and live in families on his estate, which I think may have been one of the most humane things he did, but he did beat them, and most importantly own them.
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