has become far more complex. Mount Vernon has followed along; one of the visitor highlights is the frank and honest interpretation of Washington as a slave owner. While most guides at Mount Vernon are not in character, an actor’s portrayal of Washington’s personal valet, William Lee, tells how he fought alongside his master to win American freedom, and how he married a free woman. (Lee is buried in a slave memorial on the grounds.) The actor then goes out of character and answers questions about the facts of slavery and the lives of African-Americans at Mount Vernon at the time. The complexity and brilliance of Washington’s life, and his achievements and influence, make for the contents of Mount Vernon’s Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center. The museum features Washington’s books, personal artifacts (for instance, a belt buckle worn to his inauguration) and galleries showing his style-making, including a re-creation of what a 1795 Presidential dinner would have looked like. In a well-lit case are Washington’s much talked-about, and often misrepresented, dentures. Many rumors say they’re made of wood, but you’ll have to visit to learn the real truth. From top: Special event at Mount Vernon, Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House There’s a bit of showmanship to the galleries; Washington would have liked that, I think, as he was a lover of inventions, art and architecture. An interactive map shows all the different places named for Washington in the U.S. Throughout the galleries are short videos of Washington’s life, including actress Glenn Close’s narration of the 40-year romance of George and Martha. The most crowd (and kid) pleasing attraction is the Revolutionary War Theater, which depicts battles like Trenton and Yorktown with rumbling seats, smoke and snow. A few miles outside of the estate is Washington’s Gristmill and Distillery, part of Mount Vernon. They are authentic, rebuilt on their original sites after extensive research, and are among the few reconstructions listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Touring the complex demonstrates > Don’t miss flight simulators at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. You’ll feel like a real fighter pilot when you “roll the plane.” Fairfax County Visitors Guide 21
Fairfax County Official Visitors Guide 2017: Page 21
