Existing comment:
Servants' Hall:
Built in 1775, this prominently located building was used primarily to house the servants of visitors to Mount Vernon. George Washington once remarked that his home was similar "to a well resorted tavern." In the year 1798 alone, the Washingtons had 677 overnight guests. The Servants' Hall was larger than 77% of the houses lived in by Virginia planters of the period. That such a large and well appointed structure could be reserved only for the occasional use of visiting servants is remarkable, and testifies to the Washingtons' wealth and social prominence. In at least one instance the structure served a different purpose, when William Pearce, the plantation manager, and his family resided here for several years. |