Mansion House Farm


  1. Overview
    1. Location
    2. Date Constructed/ Founded
    3. Associated Surnames
    4. Historical notes
    5. Associated Slave Workplaces
  2. Associated Free Persons
  3. Associated Enslaved Persons
  4. Research Leads and Plantation Records
  5. Miscellaneous Information
  6. References
  7. Users Researching This Workplace

 

Overview

 

Location

Fairfax Co., VA

 

Date Constructed/ Founded

not determined

 

Associated Surnames

Custis, Washington

 

Historical notes

Mount Vernon was home to George Washington for more than 45 years. First known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation, the Estate was originally granted to Washington's great grandfather John Washington in 1674. It eventually passed to Washington's older half-brother, Lawrence, who renamed the property Mount Vernon after his commanding officer, Admiral Edward Vernon of the British navy. George Washington inherited the property upon the death of his brother Lawrence's widow in 1761. At the age of eleven (1743), he inherited ten slaves and 500 acres of land. When he began farming Mount Vernon eleven years later, at the age of 22, he had a work force of about 36 slaves. With his marriage to Martha Custis in 1759, 20 of her slaves came to Mount Vernon. After their marriage, Washington purchased even more slaves. The slave population also increased because the slaves were marrying and raising their own families. By 1799, when George Washington died, there were 316 slaves living on the estate.

 

Associated Slave Workplaces

Dogue Run Farm (Fairfax Co., VA), Ferry Farm (Fairfax Co., VA), Muddy Hole Farm (Fairfax Co., VA), River Farm (Farifax Co., VA), Union Farm (Fairfax Co., VA), Woodlawn Plantation (Fairfax Co., VA)

 

Associated Free Persons

 

 

 

Associated Enslaved Persons

 

1786 Slaves at Mansion House Farm

From George Washington's Diaries, 18 February 1786; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/diaries/list/house.html

"dower" = slaves owned by marriage/ dower of Martha Washington

 

1799 Mansion House Farm slaves

Owned by George Washington in his own right and by marriage (dower)

From George Washington's Will, 1799; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/will/slalis/mansion.html

 

 

 

 

Note: Mrs. Washington was Elizabeth Foote Washington, widow of Washington's old manager and cousin Lund Washington, who lived at Hayfield, northwest of Mount Vernon. Several other Mount Vernon servants were married to slaves at Hayfield.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: the following, dower of Martha Washington are listed as the children of "Lucy":

 

 

Research Leads and Plantation Records

 

 

Miscellaneous Information

 

 

References

 

 

Users Researching This Workplace