"... first in the hearts of his countrymen."

Last Saturday, Healer Sis, Sis-In-Law and I visited Mount Vernon.   We had planned to go the preceding weekend, but Sis-In-Law had unfortunately hurt her ankle.  Besides, the weather then was much too cold.  Last Saturday, the weather in DC was mild, although not quite as spectacularly beautiful and warm as on Thursday and Friday.   We decided to use the trusty GPS which generally does a good job of navigating, although Sis-In-Law also wisely printed out the directions furnished on the website.  Based on our experience, the website directions are better.  The GPS wanted to send us to downtown Alexandria.  Because the historical markers clearly indicated that Mount Vernon was in the opposite direction, I turned off the GPS and we just followed the signs and several other cars that were obviously headed that way.  Technology is great, but common sense is even better.

I had visited Mount Vernon before, once in 1980 while I was interviewing in DC for what turned out to be a major life-changing development project in Morocco, and another time in the early 90s on a bike trip with HWMBO and other friends.  Since then, the estate has been upgraded substantially.  As every American knows or should, Mount Vernon is the estate where our first President, George Washington, lived with his wife, Martha, and Martha's children by her deceased first husband, Daniel Custis.  They had no children of their own.

In my earlier visits, the Mansion itself was the sole focal point.  While the guided walk-through of the Mansion is still a must-do, the improvements have added a lot to the outbuilding areas.  The education center is especially worthwhile.  One can even see a set of George's dentures there, although those I have pictured here are actually from the Smithsonian Institution.  They render a truly great man all too human.

Having myself just been to the dentist the day before, I could sincerely empathize with the excruciating pain that Washington must have suffered during his life.  And no, his teeth were not wooden.   

What fascinated us most, however, was that the home of our first President was almost sold, forever to be lost to our national heritage, some 60 years after his death.  Had that happened, the site would undoubtedly now be the site of some luxury development.  The location is a striking one, with its magnificent view over the Potomac River.  As it happened, in 1854, an amazing woman, Ann Pamela Cunningham, was the guiding spirit for the formation of the first historic preservation socety in America, The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union.  At that time, the Mansion was delapidated and only three items belonging to Washington could be found on the property.  Leave it to the women to raise consciousness and recognize the need for preservation!  Unfortunately, during the Civil War disruption that occurred later, restoration works had to be halted.  War has a way of adversely affecting constructive developments.

The success of this association led it to become the role model for others.  In 2010, Mount Vernon will have a special celebration to commemorate the work of the very dedicated individuals who constituted the Association's first membership.  Since then, the States of Virginia and Maryland, which owns the land on the opposite bank of the Potomac, have cooperated in the spirit of preservation so that the view today from Mount Vernon is much the same as it would have been in Washington's day.

Washington was so popular that he could have become a King, but would only accept the role of President, in accordance with the US Constitution.  After serving two terms, he returned to live out his days at Mount Vernon with Martha and his family.  His hopitality was legendary.  Although he was a slaveholder, as were all Virginians of a certain class, Washington felt that human slavery was abominable and that it compromised republican principles.  He was not successful in convincing others of that during his lifetime.  He insisted that all slaves that he owned be taught a trade, as well as reading and writing.  Upon his death, he freed all slaves that he personally owned, which may in large part account for why the 8,000 acre estate he owned at the time of his death became simply 200 acres.  There was no one else to do the work in an economically viable manner.