Is George Washington Birthplace also known as Mount Vernon?
No. George Washington was born on his father's plantation at Popes Creek. Popes Creek is on the southern shore of the Potomac River 38 miles east of Fredericksburg, Virginia and approximately 80 miles downstream from Mount Vernon, which is near Alexandria, Virginia.
Why do you call this place Popes Creek? Isn't this Wakefield?
There is no evidence in the historic record to indicate that the plantation at Popes Creek had a name when George Washington was born here in 1732. Augustine Washington Jr., the half-brother of George Washington, inherited and lived on the property at Popes Creek with his wife Anne Aylett Washington. When he died in 1762, Anne took over the property and lived there until her death over a decade later. It was during this period that some correspondences being sent to Anne began to be addressed to “Wakefield”, over 30 years after George Washington was born. While the origin of the name itself remains a mystery, it would seem it was Anne’s choice to name her home Wakefield. After her death, the property was inherited by her son and the name fell out of use. It would not be until later in the 19th century, when there was interest in restoring and commemorating the birthplace of George Washington, that the name Wakefield was revived. Beginning in 1923, one group of patriotic women even formed the Wakefield National Memorial Association (WNMA) to take on the project of building the idealized version of "Wakefield" we see in the Memorial Area today.
How long did George Washington live at Popes Creek Plantation?
Augustine Washington, George's father, moved his family away from Popes Creek when George was 3 1/2 years old. There is evidence that George spent time here in his teenage years after his half-brother, Augustine, Jr. inherited the plantation.
Was George Washington born in a log cabin? ...a mansion?
Neither. George Washington was born in a home that was certainly substantial for its time and location but was not as magnificent as homes owned by the Virginia upper gentry class.
How did the house in which George Washington was born look?
No one knows for sure. Records indicate that as early as 1815, only remnants remained of the buildings once owned here by the Washingtons. A foundation, excavated in 1936, certainly could have supported a gentry home.
So, what is the house presently located at George Washington Birthplace?
The Memorial House Museum was built in 1930-1931 to honor the memory of George Washington on the occasion of his 200th birthday celebration in 1932.
Is the Memorial House Museum a replica of the original Washington family home?
No. The home in which George Washington was born was smaller than the Memorial House Museum. The museum is intended to be representative of a middling (middle-class) colonial Virginia planter circa 1730, though most homes in the Northern Neck were made from wood during that time.
