Take Note!

2014-2019

Thanks to your support, our preservation experts have completed needed preservation maintenance and tackled an ambitious slate of restoration projects!

Critical Preservation Maintenance

10 Outbuildings repaired and repainted

8 Outbuilding roofs replaced

4 Outbuilding roofs repaired

Mansion Roof and Cupola Repaired

Conducted important maintenance to the Mansion roof, replaced the cupola’s finial and roof, and conserved 19th-century graffiti.

Chintz Room and Blue Room Restored

Restoration completed on two of the major bedchambers after intense forensic investigation and research.

East Lawn Stabilization

A sweeping project began to address slope erosion and stabilize the grounds between the Mansion and the Potomac River.

Front Parlor Restored

The discovery of new information dramatically changed our understanding of the room’s furnishings and prompted a multi-year restoration project that involved conservation of the original 1760s paneling.

Garden Houses

Repair and conservation of the buildings’ framing and replacement of cypress roof shingles.

Mansion’s Siding Repaired and Repainted

A Multi-year project began to address the deterioration of the Mansion’s siding. The west side is now completed and the south, north, and east sides of the Mansion will undergo this same restoration process in the coming years.

Preservation Work Continues

Preservation of the Mansion’s exterior, stabilization of the east slope, and restoration of Mansion bedchambers and downstairs rooms will continue. This work cannot be completed without your help.

"I conceive a knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built."

–George Washington to Jonathan Boucher, July 9, 1771

A collection of George Washington's books on agriculture. Born in the Age of Reason, Washington was a part of a new generation of readers who had access to more information - in the form of printed books, almanacs, pamphlets, lectures, sermons, and newspapers - than ever before. These works, which introduced innovative ideas on everything from politics to science, invited readers of all classes to join in ink and paper conversations about their world.

Washington followed these conversations eagerly, reading on the job to become a better soldier, farmer, and president. He corresponded with authors and friends in America and Europe, exchanging ideas that fed the ongoing agricultural, social, and political revolutions of his day. He built a library that would ultimately consist of more than 1,200 titles. More importantly, he committed himself to educating the next generation, and supported public academies, colleges, and universities throughout the new nation. By the end of his life, he had come to see the advancement of knowledge as a national priority.

What shaped the thinking of the man who defeated the British army and secured American independence, and why did our first president believe that books were so important? What did George Washington read?

To find out, we invite you to look over his shoulder and discover the words that instructed, inspired, angered, and entertained him. Follow the story of his development as a leader and then, as a legend.

Take Note! George Washington the Reader

5-Year Preservation Challenge Timeline