George Washington - Stafford County VA
N 38° 17.620 W 077° 26.878
18S E 285919 N 4241233
Ferry Farm, on the banks of the Rappahannock River, was George Washington's childhood home.
Waymark Code: WMBQJ7
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/13/2011
Views: 8
In 1738, Augustine Washington moved his wife and five kids including George who was 6 years old at the time, to a plantation he bought on the banks of the Rappahannock River across from Fredericksburg in Stafford County, Virginia. Ferry Farm, so named because of a ferry located on the property (although the Washingtons did not own or operate it) was where George Washington grew up. If young George
chopped down a cherry tree or threw a coin across the river, it was at Ferry Farm. He spent all his childhood there and most of his teen years. He called it home until he was in his 20s and his mother, Mary Ball Washington, remained there until 1772.
Ferry Farm went through a series of owners over the next 200+ years. Most of the buildings were destroyed during the Civil War when the Union set up a winter encampment on the grounds. Several early attempts to preserve the property failed due to lack of financial support. Finally, in 1998, Congress passed a law which protects Ferry Farm from encroaching development which had threatened it.
Archaeological digs began on the property in 2003. Hundreds of artifacts and evidence of some of the earlier structures were uncovered. It was announced in 2008 that the main house had been found.
Ferry Farm is open daily. A visitor center provides information, historical displays and exhibits of artifacts and other archaeological finds. A self-guided tour leads through the grounds.
References: