Most of us think of George Washington as commander in
chief of the Continental Army and our nation's first
president. Discover George Washington, the successful
business entrepreneur and innovative farmer as you explore
George Washington’s Gristmill and Distillery and
Pioneer Farm Site with the National Association for Interpretation’s
Beltway Chapter. Our behind-the scenes tour will be guided
by Steven T. Bashore, Manager of the Gristmill, Distillery & Pioneer
Farm.
George Washington built a gristmill in 1771 to increase
production of flour and cornmeal, and to be able to
export high quality flour to the West Indies, England,
and Europe. In 1797, encouraged his Scottish farm manager
James Anderson, Washington built a whiskey distillery
adjacent to the gristmill. The distillery was the largest
in America, producing 11,000 gallons of whiskey in
1799, making it one of the most successful economic
enterprises at Mount Vernon.
After exploring the mill and distillery, we’ll
travel to the main estate to learn about Washington’s
agricultural contributions. At the Pioneer Farm discover
his farming experiments and examine innovations such
as the treading barn. Before departing we’ll
have a first person interpretive experience at the
slave cabin built on the Pioneer Farm site. The cabin
is representative of the buildings that housed many
of the 316 enslaved workers who lived at George Washington’s
Mount Vernon plantation, especially on its outlying
farms.
Meet promptly at 10am at the Gristmill and Distillery
located on Route 235, three miles south of the Estate.
Space is limited to 25 interpretive professionals.
To reserve a space contact Beltway Chapter Co-Chair
Mona Enquist-Johnston, mona.enquistjohnston@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Why not extend your Mount Vernon trip? Eat lunch at
the Mount Vernon Inn or the food court (you’ll
need to make reservations for the inn). After lunch,
tour the new Education Center and Museum.
For directions go to: www.mountvernon.org.
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