The Mansion at George Washington's Mount Vernon

Featured is George & Martha Washington's home at Mount Vernon. The house was originally erected as a wooden cabin by George's uncle, Lawrence Washington. Lawrence named the estate in honor of his naval captain, Vernon. Upon inheriting the estate from his uncle, George began adding to the original building and created the estate as it is preserved today. George Washington absolutely loved his home along the shores of the Potomac, but during the Revolutionary War he only visited it once, while passing through the area towards the end of the war. Many famous men of that time came to visit Washington here, including his good friend Marquis de Lafayette. It was here on December 14, 1799 that George Washington died after contracting an illness while inspecting his estate during bad weather. Upon hearing his death British naval commander's gave him a gun salute, thus showing the respect held for him by even his former foes for this most important man in American History, George Washington.