Mount Vernon's historic outbuildings house the many important trades that sustained the bustling plantation.
In the latter half of the eighteenth century, Mount Vernon was the home, farm, and thriving business of one of America’s most prominent citizens and hundreds of enslaved people. The essential operations of the plantation were performed by the enslaved community in numerous buildings across the estate. Washington had these structures built in his ongoing pursuit of economic independence and financial success.
Skilled Trades
In 1799, more than 50 enslaved men and women were trained in specific trades that kept parts of Mount Vernon’s operation self-sufficient.
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Labor in the Mansion
A staff of enslaved butlers, housemaids, waiters, and cooks made the Washingtons’ lifestyle possible.
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Blacksmith Shop
Blacksmithing was an important craft activity throughout most of the Washington family's ownership of the Mount Vernon plantation. The earliest known reference to a shop dates to 1755.
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Colonial Coopering
Colonial Cooper, Marshall Scheetz, shows us how Buckets and Barrels were made in Washington's time.
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Composting and the Dung Repository
Washington spent most of his adult life searching for a fertilizer that would invigorate his lackluster soil at Mount Vernon.
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Fisheries and the Potomac River
Each spring, when fish began running past Mount Vernon's ten-mile shoreline, everyone dropped everything and headed to the river to haul in more than a million fish in a matter of weeks.
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Making Iron Hoops for the Barrels
Master Cooper, Marshall Scheetz, shows us how to make iron hoops used for enclosing barrels.
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Historic Structures of Mount Vernon
There are four types of standing historic structures at Mount Vernon. Some are original to Washington's life, while others are reconstructions.
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Plantation Structure
In 1799, Mount Vernon consisted of 8,000 acres divided into five farms, plus a gristmill and distillery. Enslaved men, women, and children lived on each farm. The workers at Mansion House Farm were primarily domestic servants and craftsmen, while those on the outlying farms labored in the fields.
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Recreating Washington’s Inaugural Suit
Kathrin Breitt Brown, Mount Vernon’s historical costumer, sets out to recreate George Washington’s inaugural suit.
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Weaving on the Loom
Watch a master weaver operate Mount Vernon's 18th century loom.
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Outbuildings
Buildings across the estate
