Mount Vernon Octagonal Outhouses - Mount Vernon, VA
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 38° 42.483 W 077° 05.269
18S E 318462 N 4286448
On George Washington's plantation, Mount Vernon, there are 4 restored octagonal "necessaries" that were built into the walls of the lower and upper gardens that flanked the home.
Waymark Code: WM41G4
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/23/2008
Views: 69
On George Washington's plantation, Mount Vernon, there are 4 restored octagonal "necessaries" that were built into the walls of the lower and upper gardens that flanked the home. They were built to look almost as if they were ornamented corners to the low wall that surrounded the gardens.
Like the estate and many of the dependency buildings, the outhouses are build of wood, but made to look like stone. This was done by notching wood to look like beveled stone. Then, a varnish was applied and while wet, sand was thrown onto the varnish, giving the wood the look of sandstone.
At this time, none of the outhouses can be entered. In fact the front side of all of them can only be viewed from a distance, behind a roped off partition. However, you can get up close to the rear of the two outhouses that are nearest the main house. In the gallery you'll see a photo which shows the doors on the back of the outhouses where waste was removed from the buildings.
These coordinates are for the rear side of the lower garden outhouse nearest to the main house. Tour the gardens for views of all four structures.
How many holes?: Not listed
Construction: Not listed
Location: Not listed
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