Description

"Experiencing Mount Vernon: Eyewitness Accounts, 1784-1865". Edited by Jean B. Lee. ISBN 0-8139-2515-0. Copyright 2006. Softcover with 227 pages.

In the 1780's and 1790's, an era when neither public museums nor a national library existed, visitors to Mount Vernon viewed John Trumbell's iconic image of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Houdon's famous bust of George Washington, and the General's voluminous wartime correspondence. Guests had the opportunity to speak with the Washingtons about recent history and how to best secure the success and well-being of the new nation. These accounts, and those from later visitors, chronicle Mount Vernon's early days and its ascent to the status of national shrine.