Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
[Illustration: _Mount Vernon, the Home of George Washington Purchased (in 1858), restored and maintained by the Mt. Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union_]
[Illustration: _Houdon's Bust of Washington Made at Mount Vernon, 1785_]
Copyright, 1928, by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
[Illustration: _Portrait of George Washington By Chas. Wilson Peale Bequeathed to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association by the late Miss Jane Boudinot, in whose family's possession the portrait has been since 1788, when it was painted (from life) for Elias Boudinot_]
_An Illustrated Handbook of Mount Vernon_
The Home of Washington 3 Entrance Gateway 6 West Front 7 North Lodge Gate 8 West Lodge Gate 9 Mount Vernon Mansion 10 Portico 11 Mansion Interior, Central Hall 12 West Parlor 13 Miss Custis's Music Room 14 Family Dining Room 15 Banquet Hall 16 Kitchen 17 Mrs. Washington's Sitting Room 18 Library 19 Washington's Room 20 Mrs. Washington's Room 21 Second Floor 22 Third Floor 23 Flower Garden 24 Servants' Quarters 24 Kitchen Garden 25 The Carpenter Shop 26 The Spinning House 26 The Barn 27 Summer House 28 Mount Vernon Wharf 29 Old Tomb 30 New Tomb 31 The Regents and Vice-Regents of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union 32 Pohick Church 34
In the year 1674, by Grant of Lord Culpeper, a tract of 5,000 acres situated on the west bank of the Potomac River, fifteen miles south of the present city of Washington, became the property of John Washington and Nicholas Spencer. Half of this tract, or 2,500 acres, descended to Lawrence Washington, who, in 1743, built a residence, and named the estate Mount Vernon, after the British Admiral under whom he had served. At Lawrence Washington's death (1752) the estate passed to the ownership of his half brother, George Washington, who subsequently extended the boundaries of his plantation until they included nearly 8,000 acres.
In 1799, when George Washington died, the property passed as a life interest to his widow, by whose will most of the household effects in the Mansion were, after her death, divided among her four grandchildren. Thus was the original furniture of Mount Vernon eventually scattered.
