The miniature Mount Vernon.
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A fitting tribute
to Washington's vision, this extraordinary miniature represents
the mansion as it looked in 1799, the year of his death.
The idea for
the miniature was formulated by a group of talented and patriotic
miniaturists, based in Washington State, who wanted to create a
special gift to the nation. Scores of modern artists and craftsmen
from around the world - who took their direction from an extensive
room-by-room inventory made just after Washington's death - worked
more than five years on the project.
One artisan
spent more than 500 hours creating a needlepoint rug for the small
dining room, squeezing 24 stitches in a single inch to duplicate
the intricate design. Another made 16,000 miniature shingles (each
about an inch-and-a-half long) of cypress, the water-repellent wood
that graces Washington's roof in Virginia. The minutely-rendered
paintings were created using mouse hairs. And, just as the original
harpsichord in the little parlor came from England, so too did the
miniature harpsichord, created by a British craftsman.
The exquisite
model that they produced duplicates the original building at a scale
of one inch to one foot, in working order down to the last detail.
The doorknobs turn, the windows open and close, and the drawers
of the furniture open. Every feature from the rusticated siding
to the handsome carved mantles is true to Washington's original
designs.
Each of the
twenty-two rooms, painted to match the colors on the original mansion
walls, is authentically presented with copies of the stylish furnishings
that Washington acquired in America and from France, England, and
China. The result is an astonishingly accurate portrayal in miniature
that would have pleased even Washington's meticulous eye.
This large model
is more than eight feet high, ten feet long, and about six feet
wide. Weighing more than 1100 pounds, it is one of the heaviest
and most complex miniatures ever made. A highly unusual feature
is an innovative mechanical system that raises and lowers two of
the facades and the roof, allowing visitors to see inside each room,
even those on the mansion's third floor, rarely open to the public.
Although George
Washington's Mount Vernon estate in Virginia is visited by more
than one million people each year, only a small percentage of Americans
will have a chance to make this pilgrimage in their lifetimes. Through
touring Mount Vernon in Miniature, people across the country will
have the opportunity to appreciate Washington's architectural talents
and sense of style.
The
Large Dining Room
The last
addition to the house, this room remained unfinished until after
the Revolutionary War while Washington sought a craftsman who could
execute the ceiling and woodwork decoration to his specifications.
Agricultural elements in the designs reflected Washington's feeling
that he was first and foremost a farmer. The Washingtons could entertain
large numbers of guests in this elegant, two-story room, graced
with a Palladian window, fireplace mantel of Italian marble, and
24 side chairs in the fashionable Sheraton style.
The
West Parlor
Before
the large dining room was added, Washington considered this "the
best place in my House," and important family portraits hung
there. The Washington family coat-of-arms is carved in the pediment
above the mantel. The paneled interior is painted with fashionable
and costly Prussian blue pigment. The Washingtons frequently took
tea in this room and enjoyed reading newspapers here at the end
of the day.
The
Little Parlor
By his
own testimony, Washington could "neither sing. . . nor raise
a single note on any instruments," but he loved to dance, and
music was prominent in the Mount Vernon household. Washington, who
ordered a number of instruments for family members, imported a harpsichord
from London for Martha's granddaughter, Nelly Custis.
The
Small Dining Room
This elegant room, with its elaborately carved mantel and plaster
ceiling, served the Washington family rather than guests. In this
room Washington hung prints of American notables such as Benjamin
Franklin and General Nathaniel Greene. By the 1780s, he had the
room painted a bright green, a color he found "grateful to
the eye" and less likely to fade.
The
Study
Part of the south addition, this was the headquarters from which
General Washington managed his estate and, after the Revolutionary
War, penned the letters that moved the new nation toward establishing
a federal government. It also was his personal retreat, where before
sunrise he prepared for the day's activities and in the evening
he could retire from his ever-present guests. At the time of his
death, Washington owned more than 800 books.
The
Washingtons' Bedroom
This room lies on the second floor, above the study, linked by a
private stairway. Martha Washington used this room as her headquarters
as she oversaw the operation of the household's activities. She
played a large role in decorating this room, with its plain, whitewashed
walls and paintings of her four grandchildren. She had the large
bed made in Philadelphia for her tall husband, and it was here that
George Washington died on December 14, 1799.
Nelly
Custis' Room
There are five bed chambers on the second floor, in addition to
the Washingtons' quarters. Mrs. Washington kept low post beds in
the garret, which servants brought down and set up in these rooms
to accommodate guests. The Nelly Custis room is named for Martha
Washington's youngest granddaughter, who was a member of the Mount
Vernon household from childhood. On General Washington's last birthday,
she married his nephew, Lawrence Lewis, at Mount Vernon.
Martha
Washington's Room
The third floor provided large storage rooms and several bedrooms.
After George Washington's death, Martha Washington closed the second
floor bedroom she had shared with her husband and moved up to this
bedroom in the garret. Her grandson occupied a bedroom across the
hall.
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