Mount Vernon

It just seems appropriate to visit and write a review of Mount Vernon after doing so with Monticello, as both were the residences and plantations of two prominent American presidents in Virginia. We visited the site in Dec 2024 as a side trip while visiting family for Christmas. Whether it has the potential to be inscribed or not and regardless of our opinions about George Washington as a slave owner, I'd recommend a visit here.

The mansion tour

At the time of our visit, the mansion was undergoing significant renovation (see photo, with the facade obstructed by tarpaulin) and only a very limited part of the mansion could be accessed. It was helpful to attend the free virtual tour at the Ford Orientation Centre. We entered the mansion through the door that opens to the New Room. This multi-purpose room is the most interesting (to me) of all the rooms in the mansion. Its walls are painted in pastel green, and it has a Palladian window with composition ornament and a ceiling with stuccowork. Our tour guide pointed out some interesting artwork as well, such as the paintings (check out Trumbull's Washington at Verplanck's Point) and the motifs on the marble mantelpiece.

We stepped out of the mansion (yep, that was it!) and took in the view of the Potomac River from the veranda (and yes, the view is beautiful as Els pointed out). We then went to the kitchen and storehouse located in the lower garden. …

Mount Vernon simply cannot be separated with the man and its not what the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association want. As stated on the official website, "The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is an intrepid group of American patriots who have been preserving and promoting George Washington's Mount Vernon for more than 160 years." If the property was managed by the National Park Service, perhaps the narrative of Mount Vernon would be more expansive in scope. The justification of Outstanding Universal Value outlined in the nomination refers to Mount Vernon as an "evolved cultural landscape of the 18th-century American south".

I enjoyed my time at Mount Vernon, but the founding myths of American greatness should not be inscribed on the world heritage list. Sure Washington is a great man, but he is also a deeply flawed one as well. Unfortunately, while the preservationists that operate Mount Vernon have done more to address the issue of slavery, the narrative over generations that has been fed to the American public is one that still tends to justify or dismiss slavery when discussing statesmen like Washington or Jefferson. For example, common dismissals of the slavery issue include "Washington freed his slaves when he died." That is only partially correct. Yet, other relevant questions are rarely pursued, for example: What about the conditions of slaves or the stories about slaves that attempted to escape Mount Vernon? I was certainly curious to know more about the slave burial ground.

I am thankful the Alamo was …

I visited this site in 1994. It was a very historical and informative site. Artifacts from the home and farm were unique and well preserved. I think the site ties into being a world heritage site because of the documents and artifacts that corresponded to the relationship our 1st president had with the French government. The education I received about that aspect of this country's early years came alive at this visit.

George Washington is a (or The) National Hero in the United States. His estate Mount Vernon now features on the USA's updated Tentative List. "We had to look at the site itself regardless of Washington," says one of the persons responsible for the nomination document.

For the casual visitor it's not easy to get around George Washington and the story of his life. This is a very popular spot for school trips, and there were already plenty of noisy children around when I arrived at 8.30 am on a Monday morning.

Washington bought the estate in 1754 and expanded it in the following years. Visitors are herded through the fairly modest main house. I wouldn't call it tastefully decorated; one of the rooms is even painted bright green. In each room there is a lady present of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association to tell some simple anecdotes to the passing tourists. At the sight of five guest rooms it is noted that the Washingtons received up to 667 visitors staying overnight during the first year he was President!

The interior may not be very luxurious, the man did have a lovely veranda overlooking the broad Potomac River.

If it's not the life and works of George Washington, what element of international significance will make this site into a WHS? Is it the 18th century plantation layout? Or the innovative agricultural techniques used? Surely a walk in the pleasant gardens and a visit to the farm are worth an hour or …