After two years of extensive renovations, visitors can now explore the first and second floors of George and Martha Washington’s mansion at Mount Vernon.
The $40 million preservation project focused on modernizing infrastructure while maintaining historical authenticity. Upgrades included a new HVAC system, major structural repairs, improved drainage in the mansion’s cellar, and a restored version of Washington’s bedroom. While the project won’t be fully completed until October 2026, guests can now view rooms that had been closed on a rotating basis.
“We have steadily restored the mansion to its original grandeur, including the exterior, windows, and piazza,” said Doug Bradburn, president of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, at the mansion’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We repaired 18th-century carpentry and masonry, installed a modern air and moisture management system, and applied the best preservation, archaeological, and curatorial techniques to present an accurate depiction of the Washingtons’ world.”
Restoration work at Mount Vernon has been ongoing since 2019, beginning with exterior touch-ups on the west side of the mansion. The current interior-focused project, launched in 2023, strengthens the original structure and restores the cellar to its appearance at the time of Washington’s death in 1799. The cellar will remain closed to visitors until fall 2026.
Tom Whitmore, vice president of historic preservation at the Christman Co., said more than 400 subcontractors worked on the project, including replacing much of the timber framing below the mansion. “There was extensive termite damage and over 200 years of structural interventions that needed to be corrected,” he explained. White oak for the framing was sourced directly from the Mount Vernon grounds.
Washington’s bedchamber received a new bed, wall plaster, and 1790s reproduction wallpaper from Adelphi Paper Hangings in New York. Archaeologists also uncovered 35 18th-century glass bottles, some containing preserved cherries, gooseberries, and currants, as well as an 18th-century fork hidden behind a wall in Martha Washington’s closet.
Amy McCauley, restoration manager at the estate, said a gala celebrating the grand opening of the cellar is planned for October 2026.