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Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, located near Alexandria, Virginia, was the plantation home of the first President of the United States, George Washington; it's also his burial place. The estate is located on the banks of the Potomac River across from Prince George's County, Maryland. The Washington family had owned land in the area since the time of President Washington's great-grandfather in 1674. From 1739, the Washington family began an expansion of the estate; this continued under George Washington, who came into possession of Mount Vernon in 1754. However, he did not become the sole owner until 1761.

The mansion is built of wood in a loose Palladian style, and was constructed by George Washington in stages between 1757 and 1778; it occupies the site of an earlier, smaller house built for George Washington's brother, Lawrence, in 1741. It remained Washington's country home for the duration of his life. Following his death in 1799, under the ownership of several successive generations of the family, the estate progressively declined.

In 1858, the house's historical importance was recognized and it was saved from ruin by the The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association; this philanthropic organisation acquired it together with part of the Washington estate. Escaping the damage suffered by some many of the great plantation houses during the American Civil War, Mount Vernon was finally restored for the benefit of the American nation.

Mount Vernon is one of the most visited colonial sites in America and remains a valuable historical testimony to America's first president and the lifestyle of his times, both good and bad.