George Washington Birthplace

https://www.nps.gov/gewa/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Birthplace_National_Monument The George Washington Birthplace National Monument is located in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States. This site was developed in the mid-17th century as a colonial tobacco plantation by Englishman John Washington. A member of the assembly, he was a great-grandfather of George Washington, general and the first United States president. George Washington was born in this house on February 22, 1732. He lived here until age three, returning later to live here as a teenager. The monument (referring to the house, property and memorial complex) and its preceding plantation, which eventually would be called Wakefield, are located at the confluence of Popes Creek and the larger Potomac River, and is representative of 18th-century Virginia tobacco plantations. The area has been restored, planted and maintained with farm buildings, groves of trees, livestock, gardens, and crops of tobacco and wheat, to represent the environment Washington knew here as a boy. George Washington Birthplace National Monument is located in the Northern Neck of Virginia. It encompasses 551 acres of land where seven generations of the Washington family lived and where George Washington was born in 1732. The park was also central to one of the earliest efforts to memorialize George Washington during the celebration of his bicentennial birth anniversary in 1932. George Washington Birthplace is located two miles from Virginia State Highway 3 on Virginia State Route 204. The park is located 38 miles east of Fredericksburg, 11 miles west of Montross, and 10 miles west of Colonial Beach. Visitor Center open Wednesday through Sunday The Visitor Center is open Wednesday - Sunday from 9:30 - 5:00. On Mondays and Tuesdays, there are no park staff to assist visitors. Located along the Potomac River, George Washington Birthplace National Monument is 38 miles east of Fredericksburg, Virginia and is accessible by travel over Virginia routes 3 and 204. George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Spring White obelisk in a roundabout, surrounded by trees and the park sign George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Spring George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Winter A large monument sits in the middle of a roundabout with snow on the ground George Washington Birthplace National Monument during the winter season. Memorial House Museum and Colonial Kitchen Brick Memorial House Museum and Wooden Colonial Kitchen Historic Area landscape of the Memorial House and Colonial Kitchen Overlook of Popes Creek View of Popes Creek View of Popes Creek Popes Creek Bridge A wooden bridge stretching from shore to shore over a large body of water Popes Creek Bridge leading to the Nature Trail Memorial House Museum A red brick building surrounded by trees and a dirt path leading to the building Memorial House Museum NPS Geodiversity Atlas—George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Virginia Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. shoreline bluff Designing the Parks: Learning in Action The Designing the Parks program is not your typical internship. Each year since 2013, this program at the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation has introduced a cohort of college students and recent graduates to NPS design and planning professions through projects related to cultural landscape stewardship. In the internships, made possible by partner organizations, participants focus on an in-depth project that directly engages with a national park unit. A group of young people stand on forest trail and listen to two maintenance employees Melting the Amber: Northeast Region Launches Innovative Historic House Pilot A historic house can be like an ant trapped in amber. What was once alive and growing is sealed in a single sepia-tinted moment. What if we could melt the amber? Park employees stand on the porch of Thomas Edison's home, Glenmont Fossil Discovery in the Shadow of Washington’s Birthplace An active paleontological resource monitoring program in place at George Washington Birthplace National Monument has led to the discovery and recovery of two important fossil dolphin skulls. An emergency response team supported the field collection of the fossils which were “at risk” to rapid weathering and erosion. The specimens have been transported to the Calvert Marine Museum for preparation, curation and study. two people carrying a fossil through shallow water to a small boat Herbert Hoover's National Parks Herbert Hoover is not thought of as one of our better presidents, but he made lasting contributions in the national parks he established. During Herbert Hoover's presidency from 1929 to 1933, the land designated for new national parks and monuments increased by 40 percent. Sepia photo of Herbert Hoover standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon. Coopers: The Backbone of Virginia's Tobacco Economy In colonial Virginia, the world of gentlemen relied on working-class craftsman to make goods that contributed to success. Barrel makers (coopers) in particular played an important role in the economy because of the goods they made. Coopers shop drawing The Colonial Revival Movement at George Washington Birthplace The women of the Wakefield National Memorial Association began to develop Washington's Birthplace during the Colonial Revival movement. Construction of the Colonial Kitchen and the Memorial House Museum Spot the Difference! Discover how the Birthplace Monument has changed over time. 1930s image of family in front of the Birthplace Monument Find and Color Chesapeake Bay Discover the waterways that were used as highways during George Washington's life. Chesapeake Bay Illustration Johnny Cakes or Hoe Cakes Whether you know them as Johnny Cakes or Hoe Cakes, it seems as if everyone had a favorite recipe for these pan-fried corn cakes – General Washington even served them at Mount Vernon. Where do the curious names come from? Round, stiff, pancake-looking patties with irregular edges. Monumental Changes Chosen as a symbol to remember the birthplace of George Washington, the obelisk was transformed based on changing memorial architectural design. Pre-1930 photo of the 1896 obelisk design George Washington Spy Code General George Washington used spy codes to send important messages to his officers. Use a spy code from Washington's papers to decipher important words in a letter from him to the Marquis De Lafayette concerning trapping Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. Spy Glass Illustration Reducing Erosion with Native Plants One of the major goals of George Washington Birthplace National Monument is to protect the unspoiled landscape of the park so as to enhance the historical context of the stories told here. Maintaining the landscape, however, often means working against natural forces such as erosion. Erosion is an especially difficult challenge, as it is constantly reshaping the land. Native plants in sand near water George Washington's Birthday Learn about the date of George Washington's birthday and how it has been celebrated and honored throughout the centuries. Popes Creek and the Potomac River Colonial Gardens Plants used for eating, dyeing cloth, seasoning food, as well as for curing various ailments were cultivated at plantations like the Pope's Creek Plantation that George Washington was born on. Colonial Revival Garden Series: Festive Foods of the Fort Special holiday foods made life at Fort Stanwix/Schuyler a little more tolerable during the cold winters of the American Revolution. Learn more about the ones that might've been seen and tasted here. A table spread of food, including a cheese wedge, a large meat pie, pasties, and apples. Series: Park Paleontology News - Vol. 12, No. 1, Spring 2020 All across the park system, scientists, rangers, and interpreters are engaged in the important work of studying, protecting, and sharing our rich fossil heritage. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/newsletters.htm">Park Paleontology news</a> provides a close up look at the important work of caring for these irreplaceable resources. <ul><li>Contribute to Park Paleontology News by contacting the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/common/utilities/sendmail/sendemail.cfm?o=5D8CD5B898DDBB8387BA1DBBFD02A8AE4FBD489F4FF88B9049&r=/subjects/geoscientistsinparks/photo-galleries.htm">newsletter editor</a></li><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/">Fossils & Paleontology</a> </li><li>Celebrate <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/">National Fossil Day</a> with events across the nation</li></ul> two people standing outdoors near a fossil tree base Arno Cammerer at George Washington's Birthplace Arno Cammerer played an important role in the development of George Washington Birthplace. He served as the Director of the National Park Service from 1933 to 1940. Arno Cammerer sitting at a desk with a paper in his hand looking at the camera The Birthplace History: Becoming a Park The land that the park tells stories about is complex and has many layers. The years following the dedication of the park, many have grappled with a landscape that was imprinted with Colonial Revival architecture and modern understanding of the land that Washington was born on. Read about the intricate details of the development of this area. Volunteer Story: The Robinsons Rhonda, Tabitha, and Abigail Robinson have served at George Washington Birthplace for the past 10 years. They interact with visitors by sharing a variety of colonial tasks and crafts as living history interpreters. Rhonda, Tabitha, Abigail Robinson Volunteer Story: The Northern Neck Master Gardeners The Northern Neck Master Gardeners have volunteered at George Washington Birthplace National Monument for more than 20 years. They maintain and refurbish the Colonial Revival Garden. group of people working in colonial garden Commemoration at the Birthplace View then and now images of the memorial to George Washington at his birthplace. In the late 1920s, a group of women formed the Wakefield National Memorial Association to commemorate the landscape. man with back to us looking at the construction of a builiding Veteran Story: William Ethridge William Ethridge served for 21.5 years in active service and reserve for the U.S. Army. He now works at George Washington Birthplace National Monument. portrait of soldier in US army uniform Veteran Story: Andrew Therrien Andrew Therrien served with the United States Marine Corps as a radio operator in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He now works as the Agricultural and Livestock Coordinator at George Washington Birthplace National Monument. ranger wearing NPS uniform standing on grass in front of a calm river Veteran Story: Max Farrington Max Farrington served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1958. He now works at George Washington Birthplace National Monument a the Park Custodian. soldier in Army unifrom 1930s Virtual Tour of the Birthplace View images of the park from the 1930s. visitors walking in Colgate Morgan Horse Farm In 1969, George Washington Birthplace National Monument dedicated the Colgate Morgan Horse Farm. This was an endeavor to help provide horses for mounted rangers. black and white image of four Morgan horses in a fenced in area George Washington Birthplace Online Scavenger Hunt Explore George Washington Birthplace National Monument through a virtual scavenger hunt. Use the website pages to learn more about the park and the history found here. Fossilization Challenge Take a journey to become fossil. Can you survive the fossilization challenge and be discovered by a paleontologist? fossil being extracted by Dr. Stephen Godfrey, Curator of Paleontology at the Calvert Marine Museum The Westmoreland Slave Plot of 1687 Bacon's Rebellion of 1676 led to stricter laws against enslaved African Americans in Virginia. Several enslaved attempted to escape their bondage and a few attempted to kill their enslavers. The Westmoreland Slave Plot was the first conspiracy that did not involve white participants or supporters. A Revolutionary Life: Washington's Birthday Through the Years Nine short videos chronicle American history through the lens of George Washington's birthday and how it was (or wasn't) celebrated during critical points during his life. graphic, illustration, bust of washington wearing a birthday hat I&M Networks Support Resilient Forest Management NPS Inventory and Monitoring Networks have been tracking forest health in eastern national parks since 2006. This monitoring information can guide resilient forest management and support parks in adapting to changing conditions through the actions described below. Forest health monitoring Managing Resilient Forests. A Regional Initiative Forests cover tens of thousands of acres in eastern national parks and these critical resources face a range of interacting stressors: over-abundant white-tailed deer populations, invasive plant dominance, novel pests and pathogens, among other threats. The Resilient Forests Initiative will help parks address these issue collectively. Forest health monitoring Alexander Hamilton and George Washington This article explores the relationship between Alexander Hamilton and George Washington. Two painted portraits, one of George Washington, and the other of Alexander Hamilton. Series: Managing Resilient Forests Initiative for Eastern National Parks Forests in the northeastern U.S. are in peril. Over-abundant deer, invasive plants, and insect pests are negatively impacting park forests, threatening to degrade the scenic vistas and forested landscapes that parks are renowned for. With regional collaboration, parks can manage these impacts and help forests be resilient. This article series explores tools available to park managers to achieve their goals. Healthy forests have many native seedlings and saplings. Resilient Forests Initiative - Managing Invasive Plants & Pests Park forests are threatened by invasive plants and pests. Strategically tackling invasive plants to protect park’s highest priority natural resources and planning around forest pests and pathogens are important actions in managing resilient forests. Forest Regeneration Pollinators in peril? A multipark approach to evaluating bee communities in habitats vulnerable to effects from climate change Can you name five bees in your park? Ten? Twenty? Will they all be there 50 years from now? We know that pollinators are key to maintaining healthy ecosystems—from managed almond orchards to wild mountain meadows. We have heard about dramatic population declines of the agricultural workhorse, the honey bee. Yet what do we really know about the remarkable diversity and resilience of native bees in our national parks? Southeastern polyester bee, Colletes titusensis. 50 Nifty Finds #19: A Lens on History Ezra B. Thompson was a well-respected commercial photographer, lecturer, government employee, and contractor. He was also the first employee to make motion pictures for the US government. His films and other media were shown everywhere from international expositions to local libraries with equal amazement. For more than 40 years he used his cameras to capture the spectacular and the ordinary. How is it then that his negatives ended up in an estate sale in the 1970s? Old-fashioned van for E.B. Thompson's business Segregation in Virginia's National Parks, 1916 - 1965 A look at National Park Service (NPS) segregation policy and how it was applied at six national parks in Virginia before the 1964 Civil Rights Act, at Prince William Forest Park, Shenandoah National Park, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Colonial National Historical Park, and George Washington Birthplace National Monument. A group of Black boys sit around a campfire in front of a large wooden cabin. Guide to the E.B. Thompson Negative Collection This finding aid describes the E.B. Thompson Negative Collection, part of the NPS History Collection. 2022 Freeman Tilden Award Recipients View recipients of the National Park Service Freeman Tilden Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to the practice of interpretation and education by NPS employees. Two women work with a tree while a young man records audio. Success at the 2023 Girl Scout Convention and Boy Scout National Jamboree Read about the two major Scouting events that took place in July 2023 - the Girl Scout Convention held in Orlando, Florida and the Boy Scouts Jamboree held in Beckley, West Virginia. Phenom by Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts Jamboree Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Project Profile: Restore Eastern Grasslands The National Park Service will restore up to 4,000 acres of agricultural fields and degraded lands across 37 parks in 15 states. This landscape-scale restoration project will expand the range and connectivity of native grasslands across the eastern US, restore biodiversity and critical ecosystem functions, reduce pesticide use, benefit people and wildlife, and create employment opportunities for diverse early career youth. A park manager and others standing amidst a grassy landscape. Pope's Creek Raid - June 11-21, 1864 In June of 1864, 475 men of the Thirty-sixth United States Colored Troops crossed the Potomac River and landed at Pope's Creek in Virginia. Read or listen to the report of the commanding officer of the raid, Colonel Alonzo G. Draper. A yellowing print of a peninsula surrounded by water on the point of the peninsula. Project Profile: Managing Resilient Eastern Forests The National Park Service will improve the ecological health of eastern forests in 38 parks using an array of management techniques. The NPS has selected forest ecosystems of high ecological and cultural value across multiple parks from Virginia to Maine that are at greatest risk of forest loss due to chronic and interacting stressors. Person gazes up at a tall tree Project Profile: Conserve and Restore Coastal Marsh Systems In Northeast Parks Accounting for Future Sea Level Rise The National Park Service will improve resiliency of coastal marsh ecosystems in Northeast parks through marsh restoration, facilitated marsh migration, and planning for inevitable changes from increases in sea level and storm surge. A view of a salt marsh from an overlook area. Inventory & Monitoring Partnerships Aim to Improve Park Forest Health from Coast to Coast From coast to coast, the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division is helping park managers improve the health and function of forest ecosystems. From promoting resilient forests in the Northeast, to conserving whitebark pine in the West, to protecting Hawaiian forest birds from avian malaria, scientific partnerships are helping parks to share information, leverage funding sources, and work together for outcomes that extend beyond what any park could accomplish on its own. Four people, one in NPS uniform, stand in a forest. Three look upward through binoculars. Hidden in Plain Sight: Old Growth Remnant Grasslands During 2024 scouting for a large eastern grassland restoration project funded by IRA and BIL, several old growth remnant grasslands were identified in National Capital and Northeast Region parks that were previously unknown. These remnants preserve the genetic integrity of the original grassland flora of the eastern US and are true unexpected treasures that in some cases, were hidden in plain sight. a grassland landscape with distant trees 2021 Estuarine Nutrient Enrichment Status Report: George Washington Birthplace NM George Washington Birthplace National Monument (GEWA) is located along the tidal reaches of the Potomac River in Westmoreland County, Virginia. The Potomac shoreline delineates the northern boundary of the monument, where three small sub-basins drain into the Potomac. The largest and most significant estuarine resource is Popes Creek, which has restricted flushing with the Potomac and is closely linked to GEWA resources. The monitoring area covers all tidal portions... Series: NCBN Yearly Status Reports | Estuaries What do oxygen, chlorophyll-a, and light all have in common? They are important indicators of water quality. Our network monitors estuaries along the coast for these and other water quality indicators. Take a quick dive into the data behind park management decisions. Underwater image of seagrass with text that reads, estuarine nutrient enrichment. Saving Precious Salt Marsh The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law bolster climate resilience at nine East Coast parks through funding of salt marsh restoration. An aerial view of a green, tan and brown marsh along a coastline. Hike with your Pets! Discover our nature trails, where your furry companions can explore alongside you! A person walking their dog through a dense forest on a nature trail. Coloring Pages from George Washington Birthplace Unleash your creativity and dive into a world of imagination with these coloring pages, perfect for all ages to relax, express yourself, and bring cheerful scenes to life! a black and white drawing of a bat standing next to a sign that reads Postcards from George Washington Birthplace Postcards are a perfect way for sharing adventures or crafting a colorful gallery. These charming cards spark joy and connection no matter how you use them! Picnicking at George Washington Birthplace National Monument Relax and enjoy a meal at the park's Picnic Area overlooking the beautiful Popes Creek. A pavilion sitting in a lush green field surrounded by trees.

! George Washington Birthplace George Washington Birthplace National Monument Virginia National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior \t.-—, — • - Washington's birthplace on the banks of Popes Creek Origins of a Public Man George Washington is the most elusive of national heroes. His Living at Popes Creek until he was almost four, spending long great achievements and the strength of his character led a grate- periods here as an adolescent, he watched his father's slaves ful nation to elevate him to the level of myth. As his life was work the farm and later helped his brother run it. He lived close magnified w i t h legend and held up as an example to schoolchil- to the natural world, forming his deep, lifelong attachment to dren, Washington the man began to disappear behind the model. the land, his character developing to the slow rhythms of farm "The Father of his Country" is, like the monument built to him, life. His family was solidly entrenched in the Virginia tidewater an emblem of the nation. But for many the historical person has culture, and he absorbed its ideals and values, becoming their become as abstract as the monument, as unreal as the marble most famous exemplar. W e can understand these influences by statues. While w e have little information about Washington's engaging ourselves w i t h the past at Popes Creek. As the august earliest years, w e can begin to know the man by understanding symbol w e know as George Washington was created in the the society in which jhe reached maturity, by searching for his imaginations of an earlier America, w e can use our o w n imagi- roots in a time and place. nations here at Popes Creek to move closer to the man. / 'Early colonists had,4/5 clear dense tidewater forests for homes anp f i e l d s ^ h e downed timber became tjtififf fj major building material^ Tobacco, Virginia's major export and currency, was taken t o market via the region's rivers and tributaries. \ y V I / L Washington's Tidewater World The culture that shaped Washington was founded on abundant land and numerous waterways. The James, York, Rappahannock, and Potomac rivers bore colonial merchant traffic inland as far as the rocky fall line, where the flat, tidal stretches of the rivers ended. Fertile peninsulas between these rivers were covered w i t h forests broken by large fields of wheat, corn, and above all, tobacco. This agricultural colony had taken a different turn than its northern neighbors. A traveler would have noted the African slaves working the fields and the almost complete lack of urban life. Because planters made w h a t they needed or imported it from England, f e w supporting towns had taken root. Larger planters dominated the colony, forming a ruling class that perpetuated itself through intermarriage and inheritance. Public service was another defining characteristic: Vestryman in the Anglican church, county justice, burgess, sheriff, officer in the militia—positions of authority confirming a planter's status. Rise of the Washingtons John Washington came t o Virginia in 1657 on a small trading venture, then stayed to marry the daughter of planter Nathaniel Pope. Pope gave the couple 700 acres on Mattox Creek t o start their o w n tobacco farm. John steadily added land until he owned 10,000 acres, including a nearby piece of land on Bridges Creek and another tract on Little Hunting Creek that would become the famed Mount Vernon. His son Lawrence, born in 1659, was schooled in England and married the daughter of a former member of the Governor's Council. NPS/GREGHARLIN Their son Augustine expanded his inheritance by purchasing land on nearby Popes Creek. A year after his first wife died, Augustine married Mary Ball, the orphaned daughter of a prominent planter. George Washington was their first child. When Augustine died in 1743, George inherited a modest share of the estate, but steadily added land t o his holdings over the years. When he married Martha Custis, w i d o w of a wealthy planter, the joining of the t w o families' fortunes (and his inheritance of Mount Vernon) carried them into the tidewater aristocracy. The timber-framed home that George Washington's great-grandfather John built around 1664 near Bridges Creek (see view on reverse), looked something like these conjectural buildings. Tidewater's characteristic brick dwellings would come later. After Popes Creek, Washington lived at Little Hunting Creek (renamed Mount Vernon) and then Ferry Farm, also spending periods at his brothers' Popes Creek and Mount Vernon farms. From 1754 he lived at Mount Vernon. Excavations at Bridges Creek and Popes Creek turned up daily items used in 1700s Virginia: iron farrier's nippers (for shoeing a horse), a ceramic wine bottle, and a ceramic wine bottle seal with the initials of Washington's father Augustine. Surveyor... Soldier... Farmer "No pursuit is more congenial Washington's hopes for the English education recei