The Home of Washington, Engraving by Thomas Oldham Barlow, after painting by Thomas Prichard Rossiter and Louis Remy Mignot, 1860 Willard-Budd Collection

…I think it of very great importance to fix the taste of our Country properly, and I think your Example will go far in that respect…. every Thing about you should be substantially good and majestically plain; made to endure….
January 24, 1790. Gouverneur Morris to George Washington.

Like most people today, George and Martha Washington assembled the furnishings for their home gradually throughout their lives. The couple furnished their now-famous Mount Vernon Mansion over a period of more than 40 years.

Washington described his taste in furnishings as neat and fashionable, which in the 18th century meant elegant, yet not ornate, furnishings in the latest style. The Washingtons used the same approach to their attire and manner of living.

In an effort to share the style and character of Mount Vernon's most distinguished furnishing and decorative items with a wider audience, the Association in 1991 embarked on the development of a national reproduction (licensing) program, establishing contractual agreements with the nation's premier manufacturers to develop products directly related to the Mount Vernon Collections.

Mount Vernon is intimately involved with the development of each product from concept to the final product. Each product must meet the standards of a staff committee, always keeping in mind Washington's tastes and personal style. To further our educational mission, information detailing the historical background of each product is provided for purchasers. A portion from the sales proceeds is returned to a special fund for the care and preservation of the artifacts and manuscripts in the Mount Vernon collections.

Mount Vernon enters the reproduction field with a number of impressive credentials - the estate ranks as the most-visited historic home in the country, and no single individual in American history has a higher name recognition than George Washington. Perhaps most importantly, the Father of Our Country possessed a keen sense of style and eye for furnishings that transcend time, classic styles which are fashionable today and in the future.