George Washington’s Mount Vernon prepares for the country’s 250th birthday

While countless Americans celebrated Independence Day this year at George Washington s Mount Vernon in Fairfax County Virginia they didn t get to see the presidential home in its entirety That s because a major restoration project is underway in preparation for America s th Birthday next year Related stories I feel wonderful New US citizens sworn in at George Washington s estate How you can see what George Washington wore during his first inauguration Incredibly exciting George Washington s Mount Vernon uncovers jars of -year-old cherries We consider the work that we re doing now as kind of getting ready and ultimately it ll be a birthday present to America Julie Almacy vice president media and communications at Mount Vernon recounted WTOP The million renovation project began in early with the closure of the mansion s New Room but now it is one of the only rooms open to visitors as crews add massive upgrades including a new HVAC system and large steel beams to bolster the home s framing We re fixing the fixes of the last years and a few of the things that were put in during the early th century have unintentionally created more problems within the mansion stated Almacy The entire restoration project is expected to wrap up in early before the nation s semiquincentennial That s when Mount Vernon will open the mansion s cellar to the residents for the first time We will ultimately have that cellar space looking like it did during George Washington s time Almacy stated There is a kitchen down there We have since learned there s documentation of an enslaved family living in the mansion and they lived down in that kitchen space An exhibit at the Donald W Reynolds Museum and Tuition Center is also getting a major facelift for the th It was created in We have demolished it and we are in the middle of creating a brand new George Washington exhibition Almacy added The exhibition scheduled to open next spring will be called George Washington A Revolutionary Life and promises to tell Washington s stories in new tactics Source