25. George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Virginia

               Hello, and welcome once again to our blog on the National Park Service.  In this installment we visit the birthplace of the father of our country, George Washington Birthplace National Monument.

Entrance Sign

BACKGROUND:

               In 1664, a man named John Washington settled on a large tract of property he had purchased at the junction of Popes Creek and the Potomac River in the English colony of Virginia.  Over the next two generations his family prospered farming tobacco.  In 1732, on the very same land, his Great-Grandson, George Washington was born.  From this unassuming farm in colonial Virginia, George Washington would have a disproportionate impact on history.  His actions as a young militia officer in 1754 caused the French and Indian War, a conflict which was arguably the first ‘world war.’  This would lead a chain reaction of events which caused Britain’s American colonies to rise up in revolt, once again thrusting Washington into the spotlight as the leader of America’s armies in the War of Independence.  After winning the seemingly impossible victory, Washington was called on once again to lead his country as the first President of the United States, cementing his legacy as the “Father of the Country.”

               As the years passed there were many attempts the memorialize Washington’s birthplace, but it was not until the 1920s when a private organization backed by industrialist John D. Rockefeller succeeded in acquiring the land for preservation efforts.  A replica of the house in which Washington was born was built, and the land was designated as a National Monument in 1930.

The Memorial House at left and the colonial kitchen at right.

THE MONUMENT:

               George Washington Birthplace National Monument consists of a large area of land at the confluence of Popes Creek and the Potomac River in the Tidewater region of Virginia.  The centerpiece of the Monument is the replica of the house in which Washington was born, known as the Memorial House.  When it was constructed in 1930, it was presumed that the Memorial House was standing on the same location of the original structure.  However, subsequent investigations have revealed that information to be incorrect, and the outline the true birthplace home is marked on the ground not far from the Memorial House.  (However, Park Rangers at the Monument informed the authors that further archaeological research has suggested that this site may also be inaccurate.)  Adjacent to the Memorial House is a colonial garden where traditional herbs are grown.  The grounds surrounding the Memorial House are still a working farm, providing visitors with a first-hand perspective of what the Washington farm would have looked and how it operated at the time of Washington’s birth.  A small distance up the road, away from the visitor center and colonial farm, is the Washington family burial plot.

The Washington family burial plot, including the grave of George Washington's Great-Grandfather John Washington.

TRAVEL TIPS:

               George Washington Birthplace National Monument is located roughly an hour and twenty minutes’ drive northeast from Richmond Virginia, and one and a half hours’ drive south from the District of Columbia.  The Monument is open from 9am to 5pm, shortened to 10am to 5pm from January to March, and is open year-round with holiday exceptions.  Ranger led tours of the ground and the Memorial House occur every hour from 10am to 4pm, and the visitor center has a short film.  The Memorial House is not handicapped accessible.   Passport stamps can be found in the visitor center.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:

A memorial obelisk at the roundabout at the entrance to the Monument, first erected in 1896.

The outline of the presumed actual birthplace home of George Washington.

The colonial garden adjacent to the Memorial House.

The interior entry hall of the Memorial House.

The grounds of the Monument, including some rebuilt colonial farm buildings.

The confluence of Popes Creek and the Potomac River.  The Maryland shore is on the far side.