Collections : [The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon]

The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon

The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
3600 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Mount Vernon, VA 22121
Primary Collecting Areas:
George and Martha Washington, Mount Vernon, Founding Era and Early Republic, Historic preservation, Decorative arts, Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
Description:

The Fred W. Smith National Library includes general collections, special collections and archives as a resource for scholars, students, and those interested in George Washington, colonial America and the Revolutionary and founding eras.

The library's general collections include secondary source materials on the Washington and Custis families, and the colonial and founding eras.

The Special Collections materials highlight the lives of George and Martha Washington as well as their descendants through correspondence, financial materials, and original books from George and Martha Washington's library.

The archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association holds the historic institutional records of the organization dating back to its founding in 1853.

POC: Reference services
Phone: (703) 780-3600
Start Over Repository The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon Collection George Washington collection, 1654/1799 Date range 1799

Document, Detailed list of enslaved workers on French's farm, 1799 Box 15, Folder 1799.07.15

George Washington rented the slaves from Mrs. Penelope Manley French, widow of Daniel French of Rose Hill. In July 1799, Washington wrote to Mrs. French's son-in-law, Benjamin Delany about returning the slaves.

  1. The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
  2. George Washington collection, 1654/1799
  3. Series 1. From George Washington, 1654/1799

Document, Slave Census, 1799 Box 35, Folder 1799.07.00

Lists Mount Vernon enslaved people, their relationships, occupations, and place of residence on the estate -- a list of "the negroes hired from Mrs. French." Autograph document, entirely in hand of George Washington, oversize document, laminated, George Washington's complete watermark. | Date on original catalog card appears [1799][July]. | [Probably prepared for information of his executors at the time he was drawing his will in July, 1799]. |

  1. The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
  2. George Washington collection, 1654/1799
  3. Series 4. Oversized
  4. From George Washington, 1753/1799

Financial record, Bank of Alexandria, 1794/1799 Box 8, Folder 1794.08.02

Account ledger with Bank of Alexandria (record of deposits and drafts) - holograph - 10 leaves - one page tipped in at end of ledger. This statement, dated March 20, 1821, concerns two of Washington's drafts to Samuel Washington in 1797 and 1799 for $ 1,000.00. Docketed on verso of final leaf: "Stuart's Exers on Washington etc. Filed with Depon of Jas. K. McKenna 16 May 1821."

  1. The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
  2. George Washington collection, 1654/1799
  3. Series 1. From George Washington, 1654/1799

Fragment, Distillery and Fisheries Ledger, 1799 Box 15, Folder 1799.10.27

Mount Vernon acquired at auction in 2003 a manuscript fragment with the date October 27, 1799 and George Washington's signature. It was described in the auction catalogue as having been removed from a ledger book. But it was a librarian here at Mount Vernon that discovered this fragment matched a missing piece from our bound Distillery Ledger which was acquired several years earlier. This fragment is a wonderful example of just how meticulous Washington was in reviewing the accounts. The account noted that the balance in favor of GW is 395.40. Washington added a note "Error this balance is only 375.40."
  1. The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
  2. George Washington collection, 1654/1799
  3. Series 1. From George Washington, 1654/1799

Invoice, from James Craik, 1797/1799 Box 29, Folder 1797.08.25

Dr. Craik's bill from Aug. 25, 1797 - June 14, 1799 for £ 97.11.9, for visits to & treatment of members of G.W.'s family and servants on all the farms--includes visits to attend Mr. Peter's child & "a visit to & attendce on yourself from 21st to 26th and prescription" £4.0.0--a dozen oranges--"Bleeding yourself ..."

  1. The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
  2. George Washington collection, 1654/1799
  3. Series 2. To George Washington, 1755/1799

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