Show colonial home b AIM fine condition this was despite abe th e fact that he was constantly entertaining visitors by the time the property was inherited by john augustine washington his nephew in 1829 the plantation had been reduced to 1225 acres only about acres of which were suitable for farming when his son john augustine washington jr came into possession of the estate in 1860 after his mothers death he realized that such wealth as his great uncle george had possessed was required to restore mount vernon verno n and maintain dainta in it in its former splendor according accordine to tradition a miss ann pamela cunningham of south carolina who was wa a potomac boat passenger about the time when john A washinton washington ton wished to sell mount vernon be became came so impressed with the tolling g of the bell and the historical importance of george ing tons home that she became active in working for the purchase of the estate in 1858 the organization she had formed as the mount vernon ladies association of the union contracted to buy the mansion and the patriotic appeal of the women and the efforts of senator edward everett of massachusetts who toured the countey and raised mount verron aas as actually acu ally purchased in 1860 for a shrine then the washington f family left the estate with breaking out of the civil war miss cunningham appealed to the commanders of both armies to preserve mount vernon As both i general scott and general lee gave e I 1 I 1 orders that no armed man should enter the estate the shrine was iseff self protected the only neutral spot j in the united states for several years members of at I 1 least four families of the mt ver anon slaves remained to care for the place in the employ of the assoria some of the children grew up there ethere and a few of the adults stayed long enough to gain the title of 44 aulty aunty or uncle which was a typical southern respect for an aged negro for a while after the war visitors ito I 1 to mount vernon are said to have i practiced such vandalism that they i wrote their names over its walls and 1 ceilings plaster was removed by those who cut pieces of laths baths as souvenirs and even glass was broken in the cupola by those who wish led to take away pieces of the fa home today mount vernon a national shrine is a perfectly preserved plantation with mansion green 4 01 UN U N 04 ig A 71 1 colonial home now a national shrine house ahouse kitchen servants quarters acoach coach house smoke house dairy ts spinning PInning house carpenters house garden gardeners erts house and plantation office M perhaps the estates closest touch with washington Washing tork are the beautiful g trees in the grounds near the man sion ision which were planted either by 3 general washington or by his diorec f tion A if the ancient ashes beeches beaches bee ches buckeyes buc keyes hemlocks coffee beans ft elms lindens lindena lin dens mulberry and the i nany venerable holly trees could speak they would much about 1 I lgeorge george life as a country gentleman americas most famous home mount vernon underwent not one debut but two major enlargements during I 1 the ownership of the first american ti who believed apparently that the lafirst duty of an american citizen pi to his family was vas to provide a comfortable for table home according to a writ V ler er in A the washington post when first built about 1743 t the e virginia home was an unpretentious plantation house of one and one half stories comaris comprising ing the central section of the present mansion just before his marriage to martha custis in 17 1759 9 washington ren the dwelling into a house af of two and one half stories by adding but did not ng one complete s tory story increase the floor area |