In honor of our nation’s veterans, Mount Vernon admitted all active duty and former or retired military personnel free-of-charge on Veterans Day. These honored guests were invited to place a carnation at Washington’s Tomb where the Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution conducted a special wreathlaying ceremony. Mount Vernon also held concerts by the all-veteran barbershop chorus The Harmony Heritage Singers and the U.S. Air Force Strings, which played the Star Spangled Banner in the above slideshow.
Apart from being an all-around great leader, George Washington was a financially savvy guy, keeping detailed ledgers and never letting a good online deal pass him by. At least we like to think he wouldn’t have.
Purchase today’s D.C.-area Groupon and visit his estate for more than half off at $7 ($3 for children). Explore the grounds, Washington’s gardens, his well-loved Mansion, and Mount Vernon’s artifact- and gallery-packed museum and education center. Using our new website’s trip planner, chart out which activities you want to partake in and where on the estate you will go (we recommend all of it!).
Whether you’re a fan of good whiskey, NPR or George Washington we’ve got a treat for you. NPR’s “Weekend Edition” on Saturday featured Mount Vernon’s Dennis Pogue, vice president of preservation, who talked about the most lucrative and abundant alcohol to come out of Washington’s distillery — rye whiskey. The program coincided with the release of three hundred bottles of aged rye whiskey that the estate recently put on sell for $185 a pop. Check out the story.
In an epic sequel to last fall’s peach brandy, Mount Vernon distillers are wrapping up production of apple brandy at the estate’s on-site whiskey distillery.
A president, general and avid farmer, Washington added distiller to his list of vocations in 1797, when his farm manager James Anderson convinced him to build a whiskey distillery adjacent to his grist mill. By 1799 the distillery, which was the largest in America, was producing 11,000 gallons of whiskey per year, making it one of the most successful economic enterprises at Mount Vernon.
Other spirits, such as brandy, were made to a lesser extent. Washington’s distillery ledger includes an entry in October 1799 showing that 67 gallons of apple brandy were transferred from the distillery for use at the “Mount Vernon House.”
“Brandy was a favorite libation of George and Martha Washington’s, and they commonly offered it for the enjoyment of their many guests at Mount Vernon,” says Dennis Pogue, Mount Vernon’s vice president for preservation and Washington whiskey expert. “As apples were grown at the plantation in ample amounts, converting some of their juice into brandy at Washington’s distillery therefore served his personal use as well as furthered his commercial interests.”
In keeping with tradition, Mount Vernon also produces batches of Washington’s original-recipe rye whiskey. The Estate will be selling 300 bottles of aged rye whiskey that was distilled and barreled on-site two years ago for $185 a pop beginning Oct. 22. Mount Vernon’s batch of apple brandy will be aged and sold at a later, but still undetermined date.
Washington’s reproduction grist mill and distillery are located approximately three miles from the Mount Vernon estate and are open daily to visitors through October 31.
The engineering team that has spent the past week dangling from the top of the Washington Monument assessing damage done by the August 23 earthquake that struck the Washington, D.C. area, has concluded its study.
The National Park Service will determine how repairs will be done, but the structure remains closed in the meantime, according to The Associated Press.
Mount Vernon recently invited K-12 schools nationwide to request framed portraits of George Washington to display in a respectful, prominent place.
The response was overwhelming: thousands of schools submitted letters! Along with the portrait, schools received curriculum materials to help explore our first president’s contributions.
