Mount Vernon and the Washington Family

Mount Vernon was granted to the Washington Family in 1674 and was inherited by George Washington in 1761.

The Washington family’s history at Mount Vernon, Virginia

• Land grant In 1674, George Washington’s great-grandfather, John Washington, secured a land grant along the Potomac River. 
• Little Hunting Creek In 1734, George Washington’s father, Augustine Washington, built a one-and-a-half-story home on Little Hunting Creek. 
• Mount Vernon Lawrence Washington, George Washington’s half-brother, renamed Little Hunting Creek “Mount Vernon” in honor of British Admiral Edward Vernon. 
• Expansion George Washington expanded the estate, leasing it in 1754 and becoming its sole owner in 1761. He expanded the mansion twice, in the late 1750s and again in the 1770s. 
• Burial George Washington, his wife Martha, and 25 other family members are buried at Mount Vernon. 
• Enslaved peopleHundreds of enslaved men, women, and children lived at Mount Vernon, where they worked to build and maintain the household and plantation. 
• Frances “Fanny” Bassett Martha Washington’s niece, Frances “Fanny” Bassett, came to live at Mount Vernon after her mother’s death in 1777. 

The current Mount Vernon estate includes: 

1. A museum and education center
2. A mansion
3. Gardens
4. Tombs
5. A working farm
6. A functioning distillery and gristmill

Thanks for enjoying “Mount Vernon and the Washington Family” by GeorgeandMarthWashington.com

Thanks for reading – “Mount Vernon and the Washington Family” by GeorgeandMarthWashington.com. Learn more about the Elders by visiting their about us page. Please like and follow our Facebook Page today! Check out our schedule of upcoming presentations to us or schedule a presentation for your group today.