The Diverse Groups of Artisans at Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is best known as the home of America’s first president, George Washington. From 1754 to 1799, Washington expanded his estate extensively, he added nearly 5,000 acres of land to the estate during his ownership. At the time of his death, his estate was a little under 8,000 acres of land, split into five different farms: Mansion House Farm, Dogue Run Farm, Muddy Hole Farm, River Farm, and Union Farm. During the 45 years that Washington owned and lived on the estate, he relied on the labor of hundreds of workers to keep it running. Although there have been hundreds of people who worked at Mount Vernon from the colonial era to today, this project will focus primarily on the diverse group of artisans that worked at Mount Vernon during the time that George Washington resided there. These groups will include the enslaved, indentured, and hired workers, who found themselves working at Mount Vernon during Washington’s ownership. Specifically, this project is focusing on the social and economic lives of these diverse groups of artisans and how their lives impacted Mount Vernon.