Wanting to see the Garden and Groves exhibit at Mount Vernon before it closed, my daughter and I found time after her college classes ended to enjoy a full day there.
GARDEN AND GROVES EXHIBIT
While touring the garden exhibit, 19th century renderings of Mount Vernon falling to ruins caught my heartstrings.
It was such a stark contrast to the grandness of Mount Vernon that we see in most paintings today, and in real life.
I stood and gazed at it as long as possible to impress it on my memory.
Then I sketched it in my 18th century commonplace book.
On the left side I jotted down the information regarding the painting: Landscape Study for Washington and Lafayette at Mount Vernon, 1784, by Louis Remy Mignot who visited Mount Vernon in 1857.
Based on that research, Mignot and Thomas Pritchard Rossiter painted the massive Washington and Lafayette at Mount Vernon, 1784.
From that journey his colleague, Eastman Johnson, creating his painting, The Old Mount Vernon.
Considering Washington’s persistence to maintain and upgrade the estate from the day he obtained management, then inheritance of it from his brother, the best legacy to Washington would be the keeping of his estate.
What happened?
WASHINGTON’S PERSISTENT MANAGEMENT
While Washington was alive, one of his chief goals was to properly maintain Mount Vernon.
His daily routine as a Virginia planter included riding his horse across vast acres of his property daily, to manage work projects.
Each time his country called him away, he wrote numerous letters to the estate manager regarding care of the property, expecting frequent accounts, and explicit details.
Alas, each time upon his return home, he found it in disrepair.
This Garden and Groves exhibit focused on the extensive work he undertook when he returned home after the American Revolution.
OUR MISTY, DRIZZLY MONET TOUR OF THE GARDENS
Deciding to take my new camera for a spin, my daughter and I walked through the misty and drizzly gardens of Mount Vernon, which resulted from the work detailed in the Garden and Groves exhibit.
Since we have visited Washington’s garden at different seasons, at different times of the day, in different types of weather, we felt like Monet.
1802-1829 BUSHROD WASHINGTON OWNS MOUNT VERNON
After the deaths of George Washington (1799) and his wife, Martha (1802), Mount Vernon became the property of a nephew, Bushrod Washington.
interrupting his studies at the College of William and Mary to fight with the Continental Army, Bushrod later studied law under one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence (and future Supreme Court justice) James Wilson, at the recommendation of his uncle, George Washington.
Bushrod Washington served as delegate of Virginia, and later as Supreme Court justice.
In 1829, he and his wife passed away two days apart from each other.
1829-1832 JOHN AUGUSTINE WASHINGTON II OWNS MOUNT VERNON
The next heir to Mount Vernon was the nephew of Bushrod Washington, John Augustine Washington II.
Moving from his home of Blakeley Plantation in Charles Town (in present day West Virginia), he and his family moved into their new home where they lived a comfortable life.
When he passed away in 1832, his widow inherited the estate while their son, John Augustine Washington III grew up then attended University of Virginia in 1840.
1841-1858 JOHN AUGUSTINE III MANAGES ESTATE
A year later he returned home, offering to help his mother in managing the estate.
She agreed, allowing him to run the plantation as he wished.
However, John III soon realized he was in over his head.
Years of neglect due to the non-profitability of the plantation left the once grand estate in a period of decay.
Despite his attempts to bring in income, bad weather and pests reigned.
The soil was nearly destroyed.
Throughout the ownership of Mount Vernon by the various heirs, the public continually requested permission to visit the property.
Preferring privacy and time to focus on the business at hand to work the land, requests were denied.
Finally, John III reconsidered by charging admission and selling small products.
Nevertheless, massive debt continued to grow.
John III tried to sell the estate to the federal government, then the state government.
Due to their own troubles with the looming Civil War, they declined.
1858 MOUNT VERNON LADIES’ ASSOCIATION
Then in 1858 a group of ladies purchased the estate for $200,000.
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association became the first national historic preservation organization.
Many other such organizations followed.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN VISITS MOUNT VERNON
To top off the story, we ran into Abraham Lincoln when we left the museum exhibit!
After a quick rendering we found him talking to…could it be…General Ulysses S. Grant???
It would make perfect sense for Abraham Lincoln to visit Mount Vernon, the home of his favorite president.
Many other people made trips to see the home of the famed first president, one of whom I’ve portrayed in a Becoming History presentation.
1848 VISIT
While serving as the US representative of Illinois, Lincoln worked closely with fellow representative, John Quincy Adams, who fought against slavery.
While on recess after Adams’ funeral, where he served as pall bearer, Lincoln visited Mount Vernon, as testified by Israel Washburn.
The rest of this visit is left to the imagination.
We do know that at this time the home was owned by Washington’s great-grandnephew, John Augustine Washington III.
By this time Mount Vernon had sadly deteriorated, which I’m sure came as no surprise to Lincoln.
Historic preservation was not a movement at this time.
Nor had the mansion been steadily lived in since Martha Washington’s death.
As he walked in the ground where Washington once walked, I’m sure Lincoln pondered Washington’s life, decisions, choices, stands.
1861 VISIT
After Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861, his wife’s relatives joined her on a steamer that took them to Mount Vernon via the Potomac River.
While escorted by the captain of the steamer, Sarah Tracy of the Mount Vernon Lady’s Association, noted that they toured: the Banqueting room, and General Washington’s room, and the gardens.
1862 VISIT
During the war, in 1862, Lincoln journeyed by boat with his wife and her relatives, and John Dahlgren of the Washington Navy Yard, who reported: I advised the President not to land, and remained in the boat with him, since there were security issues during the war, despite the property deemed as neutral territory.
1865 VISIT
Four days before Lee surrendered to Grant, Lincoln traveled to Grant’s headquarters in Richmond.
Returning to Washington by boat on the day of the surrender, Lincoln sailed past Mount Vernon.
While looking upon the home of the Father of our Country, a Frenchman traveling with Lincoln commented: Mount Vernon, with its memories of Washington, and Springfield, with those of your own home — revolutionary and civil war — will be equally honored in America.
Five days later, Lincoln was assassinated.
HISTORIC FIXER UPPERS ON OUR STAYCATION LIST
After this experience, I’m ready to tour ruins of history this summer!
