George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate: True Buried Treasure on Display
Many of the items in a special exhibit at George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate have exciting stories that surround their ownership and also tell us a bit more about America's original First Couple. Although the exhibit is open until January 8, 2012, some documents and other fragile pieces can only be displayed for a matter of months. Go to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate as soon as possible to ensure you see as many rare items as possible.
Consider a silver bottle roller that Washington is believed to have designed while he was President. The item was given to the family of Confederate President Robert E. Lee who sent it to Virginia Military Academy for safekeeping during the Civil War. When VMI was threatened, the roller was wrapped and buried. In 2007, a member of the Lee family found the item in a trunk and donated it to Mount Vernon.
“All of these pieces went out and had journeys and now are back at Mount Vernon," said Mount Vernon Assistant Curator Laura Simo. “There’s an entire history behind many of them [apart from Mount Vernon]. They had lives of their own.”
They also tell us about those that owned them. One look at a reconstructed bodice from a gown worn by Martha Washington and it's obvious she wasn't the overweight frump portrayed in history books. The bodice, constructed of eight silk fragments dating from 1765 to 1770, show Mrs. Washington was actually a trim and fashionable woman.
Many of the items and documents in the exhibit offer glimpses into George Washington's personal life.
His handwritten journal entries clearly show his love for children and written records indicate the purchase of many gifts for young relatives including a doll's trunk – also on display – that he purchased for his great granddaughter Eliza.
Posted on Jan 13, 2011 by Nancy Dunham
