"…yes, and many of the precious relics of Mount Vernon are now carefully preserved at Woodlawn, 3 and half miles distant." 1817

No place was more grand a showcase in Federal America than Woodlawn, constructed 1800-05 for Major Lawrence and Eleanor "Nelly" Custis Lewis. As President Washington's nephew and Martha Washington's granddaughter, respectively, they held special prominence in the first years of the new nation.

 

Woodlawn, envionsed by George Washington, overlooks Mount Vernon and the Potomac River.

Before his death in 1799, Washington provided 2,000 acres of the Mount Vernon estate to the young couple and selected the site upon which the house was built. Famed architect Dr. William Thornton designed the grand mansion where the family displayed a collection of objects in honor of their illustrious ancestors. Over 90% of the people that lived and worked at Woodlawn were enslaved people of African descent.

• The Lewises of Woodlawn
• The People of Woodlawn
• The Architecture
• First Property of the National Trust