Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon Estate, in Fairfax County Virginia was the plantation home of George Washington, the first President of the United States.  The original structure was built by his father in 1734. Washington began leasing the estate from his older half-brother Lawrence’s widow, Ann, in 1754. At this time the home was smaller and less decorated.  The home consisted of four rooms and a central passage on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor.

Throughout the following five decades after Washington inherited the property, he transformed the home into a 21 room residence with architectural features that reflected his growing status as a Virginia gentleman.  Washington added vibrant wall colors, intricate moldings, delicate plasterwork, extensive faux finishes, and elegant furnishings among other features that speak to his wealth and aesthetic preferences. Between 1758 and 1792, Washington transformed the house into a 21 room mansion, complete with wings added on either end, a piazza, connolades, and two connected outbuildings – the servant’s hall on the west side and the kitchen on the east side.  Atop the home there is a cupola; Washington added this architectural feature to help cool the house, as hot air can be drawn out through its open windows . The cupola also serves to disguise the asymmetry of the west façade of the home, by providing a strong vertical axis. The decorative weathervane on top pf the cupola is a dove with an olive branch in its mouth, symbolizing Washington’s hope for peace in the new nation. Washington commissioned the work from Philadelphia artist Joseph Rakestraw while attending the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The original weathervane is preserved in the estate’s museum, and the one that sits on the cupola today is an exact replica. The interior of the mansion has been carefully restored to its appearance in 1799.   Best, Sarah A. Blank   Sarah Blank Design Studio is a high-end architectural design firm that specializes in high-end kitchens, butler’s pantries, libraries, and master bedrooms, bath suites.  The firm works predominantly in Fairfield County and Westchester County. Our award winning firm, with 33 years of experience, often works beyond the kitchens and baths of a client’s home, and designs the architectural interiors for many of the projects that have been commissioned.

Best,

Sarah A. Blank

Sarah Blank Design Studio is a high-end architectural design firm that specializes in high-end kitchens, butler’s pantries, libraries, and master bedrooms, bath suites.  The firm works predominantly in Fairfield County and Westchester County. Our award winning firm, with 33 years of experience, often works beyond the kitchens and baths of a client’s home, and designs the architectural interiors for many of the projects that have been commissioned.