The Preservation work never ends at Mount Vernon

The Preservation work never ends at Mount Vernon

“Those who go to the Home in which he lived and died, wish to see in what he lived and died. Let one spot in this country of ours be saved … Upon you rests this duty.”
— Ann Pamela Cunningham, MVLA Founder, Farewell Address, June 1874

A comprehensive preservation effort will ensure that Mount Vernon will last for generations to come.

Preservation work never ends at Mount Vernon. We are stewards of a tremendous place, with an 18th-century historic core and landscape designed by George Washington himself. Throughout the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association’s 160-year history, we have faithfully preserved the Mansion, together with more than 30 historic and reconstructed buildings, and the landscape upon which they sit.

Advances in technology, extensive scientific analysis, and research and scholarship have revealed the challenges and new opportunities we currently face and the potential steps required to preserve and interpret these structures going forward. A comprehensive preservation effort will ensure that Mount Vernon will last for generations to come.

Preserving the Mansion

Preserving the Mansion

The Mansion bears the impact of weather and the annual visitation of more than one million people.

  • Work has been completed to totally restore the Mansion’s exterior, removing layers of paint and sand and re-applying using the same process Washington used, called “rustication.”
  • This integrated, comprehensive effort will address past repairs in need of attention, strengthen the Mansion’s framing and masonry, manage moisture, and implement appropriate environmental and electrical systems to create the conditions necessary to protect the Mansion and its collections. Upgrading obsolete HVAC systems and enabling room-by-room zoning control of humidity and temperature will preserve the architectural fabric as well as priceless objects on display. Phases will include the expansion of the underground utility bunker and the closure of certain areas of the Mansion through early 2026.
Restoring Rooms to the 1799 Appearance

Restoring Rooms to the 1799 Appearance

Thanks to ongoing research and scholarship by our staff and newly acquired historical documents, we now have the opportunity to more accurately interpret and present the rooms of the Mansion to 1799, reflecting the appearance at the time of Washington’s death and emphasizing the Washingtons’ elegant taste and vision.

We have already completed projects in the New Room, the Front Parlor, and the second-floor Chintz, Blue, Yellow, and Lafayette Rooms, to reinterpret daily life at Mount Vernon.

This same research and reinterpretation will be applied to other areas, including:

  • The Washingtons' Bedchamber
  • The Cellar
  • The Study
Preserving the Outbuildings & Landscape

Preserving the Outbuildings & Landscape

Essential to the preservation of the Mansion and its outbuildings, the historic landscape requires our focused attention.

Our remediation work and consultation with top engineering experts have identified long-term solutions to not only preserve the landscape, but also to save the historic structures at risk, including Washington’s original tomb.

Restoration work will also be undertaken to preserve original 18th-century outbuildings including the stable, coach house, garden houses, and new tomb. This work will ensure these structures last for generations to come so that they can continue to convey important stories about the Washingtons and life in the founding era.

Preservation Workspaces

Preservation Workspaces

Our dedicated staff, who are among the best in the country, deserve the best working spaces.

Our archaeology and historic architecture labs and workshops are woefully inadequate for the level of preservation work our team undertakes. We will make certain our professionals are working in the best possible conditions.

Join the Campaign

Join the campaign to preserve, educate, and inspire in the true spirit of George Washington and his beloved Mount Vernon Estate.