“…Mount Vernon was far more than simply a house. It was an extension of [Washington] himself, a tangible emblem of his character, his personality, his hopes, his dreams” (xvi).
The Book
George Washington’s
Mount Vernon by Robert F. Dalzell Jr. and Lee Baldwin Dalzell is an unusual
biography. Instead of focusing on the man, it focuses on the place while
exploring the impact of and on the man. Mount Vernon
was passed down through generations of Washingtons
and the present buildings were designed by George Washington. Mount
Vernon went through three major reconstructions while owned by Washington and majority of the time Washington was away from home. The
Dalzells’s use Washington’s
letters to show the reader how involved he still was in the construction. Washington was in
constant contact with his managers, even as the commander of the Continental
Army.
The Dalzells also introduce the reader to the architecture
of the periods and the type of men who would have worked on the construction. Washington’s travels
throughout the colonies introduced him to different ways to build a structure. He
built an unusual house which is evident in the different types of architecture
he was influenced by and the changes over the years. These sections can be hard
to read at times, but they lend a better understanding to the eventual outcome.
The Place
Mount Vernon is a place that combines history with hands on learning. I
have visited Washington’s
home twice: once as an elementary school kid and once after college. Both times
I felt the same awe as I walked up the drive to the front of the house. Washington focused on a
visitor’s first impression and that focus is still in place today. You can tour
the house and spend some time sitting on the piazza (river front porch)
watching the Potomac River. Down the road is a
replica of Washington’s
sixteen sided barn where wheat was threshed and the tomb where George and his
wife Martha were laid to rest.
In the years in between my two visits, a visitor’s center
and museum were added. These two add so much to the Mount Vernon experience. As you walk through
the museum, you see Washington develop from a
young surveyor to the President of the United States. Interactive videos
explore the relationship of George and Martha Washington and the battles of the
Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War video includes cannon smoke and “snow”
falling from the ceiling. Much time and effort were obviously put into Mount Vernon to make it,
once again, a place for the people to visit.
