LITTLE HUNTING CREEK
George Washington
lived in three homes during his childhood. Last month we looked at his
birthplace at Popes Creek, later know as Wakefield , located in Westmoreland County in the northern neck area of Virginia .
Mount Vernon ~ Twentieth Century |
The Washington home at Popes Creek burned in
1735 when George was three. At that time, George’s father Augustine moved his young
family sixty miles up the Potomac River to their Little Hunting Creek property which had
been in the Washington family since 1699. While there is
no definitive reason why the Washington family made the move, the fact
that Augustine needed to manage his business pursuits including iron mining
interests in what is now Stafford County , Virginia made the Little Hunting Creek
plantation far more convenient than the Popes Creek property. The Washington family lived at Little Hunting
Creek for three years until 1738, when they moved south to a 260 acre farm, known
as Ferry Farm, on the north bank of the Rappahannock River .
Augustine’s
eldest son Lawrence, by his first wife, inherited Little Hunting Creek in 1743,
shortly after Augustine’s death. That same year Lawrence married Ann Fairfax, the eldest
daughter of his neighbor William Fairfax. He renamed the plantation Mount Vernon to honor the British Naval hero, Admiral
Edward Vernon, whom he had served under in the West Indies . George Washington would return
to Mount
Vernon a number of times over the next fourteen years to visit
Lawrence, with whom he had a close relationship.
Original Family Crypt ~ Mount Vernon |
Lawrence drew
up a will shortly before his untimely death in 1752, leaving Mount Vernon to
George, who was managing the estate, with stipulations that his widow was to
have the use, benefit and profit of all his lands, and that their daughter
Sarah, if she lived to majority, would inherit the estate. However, Sarah died
shortly after Lawrence ’s death and Ann remarried and
left Mount Vernon . George Washington moved to Mount Vernon again in 1752 at the age of twenty
to manage the property. By 1754 George had bought his sister-in-laws’ interest
in Mount
Vernon and the plantation remained his for the rest of his life.
During his lifetime he made many improvements and expansions to the property. George
and Martha Washington’s tomb is located on the Mount Vernon estate.
George & Martha Washington's Tomb ~ Mount Vernon Built in 1831 |
Next
month, learn more about Ferry Farm, where George Washington would spend from
1738-1752.
Janet, This post is very dear to my heart. I've always loved reading about Washington in every respect. Wish I could be there in the flesh and not just the spirit. But this is a fine substitute:) Bless you.
ReplyDeleteThere are some great books out in the past year or so on GW
ReplyDeleteSacred Fire ad The Real George Washington. When I was homeschooling my youngest I took him to all of George's childhood homes. It was such fun! Thanks for the comment. I'm almost finished Courting Morrow Little. You are a gifted writer.
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Some day I'd like to visit these sites in person. Thanks for giving us the background!
ReplyDeleteWonderful background info on our esteemed first president! Thank you, Janet, for researching this and presenting it to us. I have "Sacred Fire" but have not yet delved through the large volume. What I HAVE read so far is fascinating!
ReplyDeleteI knew George Washington did surveying work for Lord Fairfax (he supposedly did the surveying for my Rousch ancestor's land in the Shenandoah Valley which they purchased from Fairfax) but I did not realize the connection. I am embarrassed to admit that I have not yet made it to Mount Vernon. Does that put me in the CACW Hall of Shame this week, Janet? Great article!
ReplyDeleteI meant to say the connection between Washington's older brother marrying Fairfax's daughter - I did not know about that relationship.
DeleteThanks Ladies. George Washington was a fascinating chap. Elaine, both of those books are faster reads than you might think - and I'm a slow reader.
ReplyDelete