Category Archives: George Washington

Visit to Wellington (River Farm) on the Way to War

On April 17, 1862, William H. Snowden boarded the steamboat John A. Warner for a trip down the Potomac River. He was traveling for business….with the Union Army. While he was raised in the Quaker tradition, at the first sign … Continue reading

Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Black Walnut, Broad Creek, George Washington, River Farm, Snowden, Trees, Wellington | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Hunter Family of Cedar Hill

Prior to the Civil War, the southern section of the Waynewood neighborhood in Alexandria, VA was owned by the Hunters, one of the many Northern families that migrated to the Mount Vernon District in the mid-nineteenth century to apply modern … Continue reading

Posted in Backyard Mount Vernon, Fort Hunt, Fort Hunt Park, George Washington, Potomac, Snowden, Trees, Waynewood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Heirs of River Farm

Published in the Mount Vernon Gazette March 31, 2021 On October 15, 1785, George Washington’s favorite nephew married Martha Washington’s favorite niece. George Augustine Washington was the son of George Washington’s youngest Brother Charles, the founder of Charlestown, West Virginia. … Continue reading

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Who Built Collingwood in Alexandria, VA?

Local tradition, a 1937 Works Progress Administration report on the structure, and the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) hold that

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Harrison Dodge: Superintendent of Mount Vernon & Vestryman of Pohick Church

On May 19, 1937,  Harrison Howell Dodge passed away suddenly from a cerebral hemorrhage.  This would end his 52 year tenure as the Superintendent of the Mount Vernon Estate, a record of service that stands today.  On May 21st, following … Continue reading

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Wisteria in the Mount Vernon Area: Devastatingly Beautiful

When George Washington purchased 3 wisteria plants for his Mount Vernon estate in March 1792, William Bartram delivered them with a detailed description that could be read as a friendly warning.  Bartram, a naturalist who inherited his father’s nursery, describes … Continue reading

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