Yesterday, the kids and I visited George Washington’s office in Winchester, located near West Virginia, about 116 miles from Mount Vernon.
1674 WASHINGTONS SETTLE VIRGINIA
In 1656, John Washington (great-great-grandfather of George Washington) first arrived in Virginia from England.
Settling in the Northern Neck, John acquired 5000 acres on the Northern Neck in 1674, with the help of a friend who was a land agent for Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper.
His son, Lawrence Washington, took possession of the portion along Little Hunting Creek.
When George Washington’s brother, Augustine, took possession of the land, he renamed in Mount Vernon.
1716 KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE
As population grew in the Tidewater, Governor Spotswood looked west.
In 1716. he led an expedition dubbed the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe, comprised of 50 men with 74 horses, to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Reaching the peak of Swift Run Gap at 2365’, they observed the expanse of the Shenandoah Valley.
On the banks of the Shenandoah River, they buried a bottle with a note claiming the land for King George I.
As a momento of the journey, the governor gave each man a jewel encrusted golden horseshoe stickpin inscribed with Sic juvat transcendere montes. (Thus, it is pleasant to cross the mountains.)
It’s thought that one of the members of the Golden Horseshoe included a great-uncle of George Washington.
Although this tale is seen as a legend, one wonders how much it impacted future explorers, settlers, and surveyors.
Enter…George Washington.
GEORGE WASHINGTON’S CHILDHOOD
Born in 1732 on Pope’s Creek, George moved to Little Hunting Creek in 1735, then moved to Ferry Farm (near Fredericksburg) in 1738, all within 80 miles of each other along the Potomac River in the Northern Neck.
Eleven-year-old George’s life changed completely when, in April 1743, his father, Augustine, unexpectedly passed away.
When George’s older half-brother, Lawrence, inherited Little Hunting Creek, he renamed in honor of Admiral Edward Vernon, the English naval officer under whom he had served.
In July, Lawrence married Anne Fairfax from the Belvoir Plantation (today’s Fort Belvoir), neighboring Mount Vernon.
While George lived at his inheritance of Ferry Farm, where he lived with his mother, he frequently visited Lawrence, whom he adored.
On these frequent visits, George also spent time with the influential Fairfax family, including learning how to fox hunt.
Since George’s formal education ended when his father died, the opportunity to study in England ceased.
GEORGE WASHINGTON SURVEYOR
Reflecting the rigorous education of the 18th century, George’s choice of trade as surveyor required great aptitude in mathematics and trigonometry, which he accomplished.
The sixteen-year-old’s intricate map making can be viewed here at the Library of Congress.
William Fairfax (Anne’s father) of Belvoir Plantation was a member of the governor’s council who “adopted” George, guiding him in his surveying career.
LORD FAIRFAX
William Fairfax was cousin to Lord Thomas Fairfax, 6th Baron of Cameron, who in 1719 was awarded the Fairfax Proprietary, a land grant of 5,000,000,000 acres between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, extending to the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shenandoah Valley.
After leaving England in 1735 to visit his Virginia property, he wrote that he was: attracted to the rustic beauty of the Blue Ridge.
As the only awardee of a proprietary land grant from the king to actually settle in America, Lord Fairfax came to America in 1742.
After a brief visit with his cousin at Belvoir Plantation, Lord Fairfax made his home at Greenway Court, a country estate in Clarke County, twelve miles south of Winchester.
In 1748, Lord Fairfax hired several men to survey his land in the Blue Ridge, which included sixteen-year-old George Washington, George William Fairfax (son of William Fairfax), and James Genn (surveyor of Prince William County).
During this expedition Washington did more observing than performing, but it was an experience of a lifetime.
Washington’s relationship with the Fairfaxes grew with frequent visits to both Belvoir Plantation and Greenway Court.
Anyone who wanted to own land needed a skilled surveyor to expertly report accurate measurements for legal reasons.
As a result, surveying was a profitable profession, guaranteeing social prominence.
The skill set for surveyor required an excellent education and promised fine salaries, only to be beaten by those of the legal profession.
Due to a surveyor’s profitable income, knowledge, and understanding of a good value in land investments, many surveyors acquired much land for themselves.
At one time, it was noted that Washington had acquired 70,000 acres of land.
In 1749, at the age of 17, George received his surveying license from the College of William and Mary.
WASHINGTON SURVEYS FOR LORD FAIRFAX
Lord Fairfax then commissioned George as the official surveyor of Culpeper County, which was newly formed.
Since Culpeper County had been formed from Orange County, which was mostly settled, few surveys apparently needed to be made.
Only one known survey survives that George did for Culpeper, the rest being done outside the county in the more unsettled west of Frederick County of the Shenandoah Valley.
Although few surveyors in Virginia had freedom to survey outside their designated county, Lord Fairfax allowed the surveyors of his land more freedom.
Even in that day, it was rare to hold such an important position at such a young age, as most were continuing their apprenticeship.
Although George left that position in 1750, he continued surveying other parts of the western wilderness Fairfax Proprietary through 1752.
COLONEL GEORGE WASHINGTON OF VIRGINIA REGIMENT
Both his surveying skills and his time learning to “rough it” in the western wilderness as a surveyor were great assets to George Washington’s military career.
In 1752, Royal Governor Dinwiddie appointed Washington colonel of the Virginia Militia, to protect the western frontier.
Temporarily using this building as his office from September 1755 to December of 1756, Washington oversaw the building of Fort Loudoun a half-mile up the road.
Bringing his own blacksmiths from his recently acquired Mount Vernon, Washington ordered iron from Occoquan.
Once completed, Washington moved his office there.
GENERAL BRADDOCK
On display is one of Braddock’s cannons, that was hauled to Fort Duquesne from Alexandria in 1755.
While George Washington served as Braddock’s aide-de-camp, legendary sharp shooter Daniel Morgan drove the wagon.
WASHINGTON’S POLITICAL CAREER BEGAN IN FREDERICK COUNTY
From 1758 to 1765, Washington served Frederick County in Williamsburg as a burgess.
Several of the committees upon which Washington served was in regards to the French and Indian War. Then from 1765 to 1775, Washington served Fairfax County.
For more photos, check my Flickr set.
