Evening star., 1938-02-22

george washington and his wife Mar
tina and her two children came to
Mount Vernon the center portion of
the main house stood on the crest of
the hill overlooking the river, but the
great portico which is such a distinc-
tive part OF the house today had not
been built. There was also a large
frame barn and several small wooden
shacks but the complete, well-laid- -out
village as We see it now was built in
the years after Gen. Washington i'm
proved the estate.
Washington loved Mount Vernon
dearly. From the childhood days when
he visited his brother Lawrence and
his wife there, and helped plan the
development of the estate. through
the years when he was studying and
working in the west his thoughts
turned constantly to the place on the
river. The is years that he spent there
with his wife and children before
public life claimed him were the hap
piest of all his life, and during the
years that he was away he kept in
constant touch with his manager.
planning and hoping for the day that
would see him master of Mount Vernon
again.
There is probably no other place in
Colonial America where good taste and
good management were combined with
such excellent results. WASHINGTON
had very definite ideas of what his
mouse should be. He demanded ex-
cellence, neatness and fashionable
ness and In a methodical and under
standing way he proceeded to carry out
his dreams. His first plan was to en-
hrge and redecorate the mansion
mouse, in manner fitting the home
OF distinguished family The general
plan OF the estate as we see it now was
formulated and the south wing imme-
dlately built, providing library on
tne nrst moor, a large bedroom and
dressing rooms on the second floor for
washington and his wife with a third
moor bedroom, later used by Martha
washington after the death of her
husband.
I nh'h Ci> 5fto ana decorators took
up residence at Mount Vernon
Two by the name Of "Lanphier" and
sears are mentioned many times.
Bricks were baked within a few hun
dred yards of the mansion and lumber
was ordered and carefully seasoned for
the new construction If delivery was
delayed by bad weather or other un-
1oreseen accidents neighbors at Bel
volr sent over the necessary amount
from their stock so that the work need
not stop. Under the watchful eve of
the master of Mount Vernon the
mouse acquired the proper setting for
the fne furniture, glass and china
that Martha Washington brought
from her home in Williamsburg, and
the more fashionable things that were
purchased by mail order from England.
In IT'S Washington was called to
Philadelphia as Delegate to the Sec
ond Continental Congress. Six years
passed before he again saw Mount
vernon. His plans were carried out
by his able manager and distant rela-
tive. Lund Washington. In 1889
washington was made the first Presi-
dent OF the United States. He was
away for eight more years, with the
exception Of brief periods. During
this time he had purchased from his
neighbors all of the original Spencer
Washington tract of 5000 acres and
3 900 additional.
X
TO OPERATE this huge estate it
was necessary to employ a small
army Of labor, both black and white.
To support them all required wise
and utilization of all the
resources. Washington studied
necessarily the newest information on
agriculture and experimental with
fertilizers and crop rotation until he
realized the greatest yield possible
from his acres. His neighbors were
at his skill and came to him
Tor advice which WAS freely given