Washington's, George, Distillery and Gristmill - Alexandria, Virginia
Posted by: 
flyingmoose
N 38° 42.767 W 077° 07.850
18S E 314734 N 4287059
Located on Mount Vernon Memorial Highway prior to Route 1.
Waymark Code: WM17XNJ
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 04/17/2023
Views: 0
Part of the original Mount Vernon Plantation, George Washington's Gristmill was built in 1771 and it was destroyed around 1850. The Gristmill was reconstructed at the original site by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1933. The buildings used late eighteenth century methods of construction and contribute to the history of Virginia.
Taken from wikipedia (
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George Washington inherited Mount Vernon in 1754. In 1771, he erected a large stone gristmill on the plantation to replace a mill his father had built in the 1730s. The new mill was located three miles (5 km) west of Mount Vernon on Dogue Run Creek. It was used to produce flour and cornmeal for the plantation as well as high-quality flour for export to the West Indies, England, and continental Europe. Washington also built a house for the miller and a cooperage to supply barrels for the mill, and later, the distillery operation. The mill was powered by a large water wheel. To ensure a steady power supply, water was diverted from Piney Branch into Dogue Run Creek above the mill's headrace. The additional waterflow significantly increased the mill's production capacity. In 1791, Washington automated his mill using technology developed and patented by Oliver Evans of Delaware. Evans was personally acquainted with the mill and had repaired some of its works.
Once the gristmill was well established, Washington's farm manager, James Anderson, suggested building a whiskey distillery adjacent to the mill. When it was completed in 1797, the distillery was the largest in America. By 1799 it had become one of Washington's most successful enterprises, producing 11,000 gallons of whiskey per year. A variety of whiskeys were produced at the site along with brandy and vinegar. The most common whiskey recipe used 60% rye, 35% corn, and 5% malted barley. Smaller amounts of rye whiskey were distilled up to four times and were more expensive. Some whiskey was also flavored with cinnamon. When rye was scarce the distillery used wheat. Apple, peach and persimmon brandies were also produced. The whiskey was marketed in Alexandria, Virginia, or shipped directly from Mount Vernon's dock on the Potomac River. The distillery process produced a significant waste stream, which was fed to 150 cattle and 30 hogs that were kept at the site.
After Washington's death in December 1799, the gristmill and distillery passed to his nephew, Lawrence Lewis. In 1808, he rented the site to Alexandria merchant James Douglass. The last known reference to the distillery business is an 1808 whiskey advertisement. The distillery building burned in 1814; this is documented by a small insurance payment made to Lewis that year. In 1848, Lewis’ grandson sold the gristmill property along with Woodlawn Plantation. That is the last record of the original buildings. Local oral history suggests that the mill was quite run-down by 1848, and it was razed around 1850.