History of the Wharf

In 18th-century America, riverside property was considered prime real estate because it offered transportation and trade advantages. On the banks of the Potomac River, the wharf was a vital part of George Washington's plantation operations when roads were not always the easiest way to travel, receiving goods from abroad and sending commodities produced at Mount Vernon to domestic and foreign markets. By the time the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association took possession of the estate, the existing wharf had deteriorated so badly that a new structure had to be built to handle the growing number of guests arriving by steamboat. The new wharf, extending nearly 200 feet into the Potomac, was designed by engineer Montgomery C. Meigs and completed in 1860. Meigs was also known for his role in the creation of Arlington National Cemetery, his service as quartermaster general for the Union army during the American Civil War, his supervision of the U.S. Capitol dome's construction, and for building the Pension Building in Washington, D.C., now home to the National Building Museum. The wharf underwent extensive renovations in the late 19th century, and it was updated and rededicated again in 1991, when Queen Elizabeth II visited during a state visit; she had previously come to the estate as Princess Elizabeth in November 1951, and her son Charles, Prince of Wales, visited Mount Vernon and inspected the wharf in March 2015.

Fort Hunt, Virginia · United States