JGWA logo

HISTORIC PRESERVATION | RESTORATION | ADAPTIVE USE

JGWA logo

HISTORIC PRESERVATION | RESTORATION | ADAPTIVE USE

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

The east facade of Mount Vernon, facing the Potomac River, after restoration of the roof and cupola, using salvaged early growth cypress shingles and copper sheet metal.

The historic plaster ceiling of the small dining room was stabilized from above using acrylic resins to consolidate and re-adhere the plaster to the split lath substrate.

The nineteenth-century wharf and wharf pavilion were restored.

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, VA

Client: The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union

Project Type: Interior and Exterior Restoration; Historic Structure Reports; Environmental Monitoring

George Washington took possession of Mount Vernon in 1754 and transformed the house and plantation over the remaining 45 years of his life. One of the best-known historic homes in America, Mount Vernon receives more than one million visitors annually.

John G. Waite Associates and its predecessor firm provided architectural services for several major projects at the estate, including a historic structure report of the Mansion, providing a comprehensive analysis of the building’s structure and its interior and exterior finishes and making recommendations for preservation and restoration. A program for environmental monitoring was developed using a computerized system for data acquisition. Specific projects included: plaster restoration of the decorative plaster ceiling in the small dining room of the Mansion; structural reinforcement of the Mansion’s principal stair to accommodate visitors; roof and cupola restoration at the Mansion; and restoration of the plantation’s shingled wharf pavilion on the Potomac River.