Mount Vernon

We had a grand time at Mount Vernon which is George Washington's home.

It certainly is grand!

This entry room apparently was little used.  I think the ceiling is so ornate but the color is not to my liking.

I don't really know what this room was used for other than some entertaining.

I love the way the curtains frame the windows.

And this fireplace!  It really is beautiful.

While in the welcome center I was able to see all the layers on the walls.  Jared Willyerd would love this.

This piano was used by Washington's niece.  It is original and very old so keep your hands off!

Shoes and a dress worn by Martha.

The gardens and orchards were so neat and orderly.  

The way these trees were trimmed and held up by planks is amazing.  I can only imagine how many people/slaves were needed to keep this place running.

This round barn has a floor that lets the grain fall through the slits.

Then all the grain could be collected on the bottom level.

The interior of a slave cabin.

The weather vane that stood on top of the mansion.

This gal was peeling the faux stone off of the wood.  

I can only imagine how long this process was going to take. 

This close-up shows how the wood was covered with a sand-like substance to make the place look like it was built of stone. 

Another sitting room.

There were quite a number of bedrooms.  

Most of them were on the upper levels.

This cut-out shows the floor plan of the house.

I liked these stained glass murals in the welcome center. 

The view from the front of the house.  I can understand why he loved this place. 

Another bedroom.

His actual dentures.

This is the bed and room where Washington passed from this life.  He had an illness that today would've been treated easily.  Basically he suffocated.

The tomb of George Washington.

The tomb is inside this little brick building.

The kitchen.

An office.

This was a space that I found to be very sacred.

Too bad there were so many youth that didn't feel the same way about it as I did.

This view of slavery and Washington's treatment of his slaves gave me a bit of a different view from what I saw when I watched Roots.  Not all slave owners were cruel.

Still, there was no way for him to run his plantation without slaves. 

This was a slave bunk house.

There are separate ones for males and females.

A chicken coop outside of a slave cabin.

The inside of a slave cabin.

The fancy wheels for the Washingtons.

We had a great time.  It was quite warm so anytime we were in the shade we were happy.  I learned a lot about George and Martha.