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George Washington's Gristmill
George Washington’s Gristmill was part of the original Mount Vernon plantation, constructed during the lifetime of the United States' first president. The original structure was destroyed about 1850. The Commonwealth of Virginia and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association have reconstructed the gristmill and the adjacent distillery. The reconstructed buildings are located at their original site three miles (5 km) west of Mount Vernon proper near Woodlawn Plantation in Alexandria, Virginia. Because the reconstructed buildings embody the distinctive characteristics of late eighteenth century methods of production and are of importance to the history of Virginia, the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places despite the fact that the buildings are not original.
==History==
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.〔("Distillery & Gristmill" ), George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, www.mountvernon.org, Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, Mount Vernon, Virginia, 2008〕〔("George Washington’s Gristmill" ), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, National Park Service, Department of Interior, Fairfax County, Virginia, 3 June 2003〕 Evans was personally acquainted with the mill and had repaired some of its works.〔Washington's letter to Col. Clement Biddle, April 8, 1798, published in (Volume 48 ), The Pennsylvania magazine of history and biography, pp. 198-199〕
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.〔〔Cooper, Rachel, ("George Washington’s Whiskey Distillery and Gristmill at Mount Vernon" ), ''About.com'', The New York Times Company, New York, New York, 2008〕 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.〔("George Washington’s Distillery FAQS" ), Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, ''www.discus.org'', Washington, D.C., 2007〕 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.〔("A Brief History of George Washington’s Distillery" ), Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, ''www.discus.org'', Washington, D.C., 2007〕
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.〔
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