Mount Vernon was somewhere I had heard so many amazing things about and had never had the opportunity to visit. Of all the places we visited in D.C. in January, this was probably one of my favorites. I was struck by the ingenuity of George Washington; he was not only a courageous military man civic leader, but he was a family man, a businessman, an entrepreneur and much, much more. I had never realized the weight and responsibility Washington felt in being the first president of this country; many of the things he did while in office set the precedent for how things are done today.
Not only that, but his wife Martha was an incredible woman as well. It was rare for them to not have company at any given time. I was impressed with the size of the estate as well as the management of it. George and Martha Washington were very hands-on, in everything they were involved in. Although most of their personal letters were burned after being read, those who knew them, were known to comment of the love they shared. We didn't take a ton of pictures, but here's a few, to give you a bit of a feel for the place.
During his tenure as the first president of the United States, George Washington longed for the peace and solitude of his Mt. Vernon home. The picture below is a small portion of the view from their home of the river. I can understand how he would have missed such a place.
There currently is a full-time blacksmith at Mt. Vernon. During Washington's time they believe there were multiple . . . one next to the house, and others at his other properties/other locations on the estate. It was neat to see how he heated up the metal and worked it - similar to how it would have been done 'back-in-the-day'.
This is the view guests would have seen at the entrance to the estate; truly a place of grandeur, majesty and serenity. Being here whetted my appetite regarding our founding fathers and deepened my respect for them.
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