I don't have much to show from inside of George Washington's mansion at Mount Vernon other than this picture that I took through the back window during sunrise one morning. When one remembers that this house is some 250 years old, it changes the feel of being there.
I really wanted to take some extra time to appreciate the Bastille key, given to George Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette after the French Revolution. I wanted to stand longer at the bed where our first president breathed his last breath. I wanted to sit in his "fan chair" and write at his desk, maybe even write a letter using his copy press. I wanted to climb into the cupola to see the ultimate view from inside (and read the old graffiti on the inner walls). I wanted to touch the exquisite mantle. And I wanted to take lots and lots of pictures in there!
I am most disappointed that our Teacher Institute did not allow for more time inside the mansion than the after hours tour that we received. We were able to take more time than the general public, but even at the slowed rate, it is often not until well after that one can think of questions to ask.
Still, perhaps it is inside the mansion that preservation is the most obvious. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association desires the mansion be restored and kept in the same state it was in during the year of Washington's death in 1799, in spite of the many changes that were made in the 19th and 20th centuries. That means some of the colors and designs of the interior are very garish by today's standards. The pain seems thick and glossy, with bold color on just about every wall, but that's what the Washingtons wanted - and at this point, what the Washingtons want, they can have.
I am most disappointed that our Teacher Institute did not allow for more time inside the mansion than the after hours tour that we received. We were able to take more time than the general public, but even at the slowed rate, it is often not until well after that one can think of questions to ask.
Still, perhaps it is inside the mansion that preservation is the most obvious. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association desires the mansion be restored and kept in the same state it was in during the year of Washington's death in 1799, in spite of the many changes that were made in the 19th and 20th centuries. That means some of the colors and designs of the interior are very garish by today's standards. The pain seems thick and glossy, with bold color on just about every wall, but that's what the Washingtons wanted - and at this point, what the Washingtons want, they can have.
