Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon Ladies Association
Mount Vernon has launched a major landscape plan.
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association (MVLA) Tuesday announced the launch of a comprehensive, estate-wide landscape plan for the historic 500-acre property that will be led by internationally acclaimed Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects(NBW). Grounded in rigorous historical research, ecological analysis, and operational planning, the comprehensive plan will guide long-term stewardship, preservation, sustainability, and visitor experience across the estate’s diverse natural, agricultural, and cultural resources.
“Mount Vernon is home to the most important surviving 18th-century landscape in the United States, one created by George Washington's own design and vision,” said Douglas Bradburn, president and CEO of Mount Vernon. “We are now entering an exciting new chapter that will bring that landscape to life in ways that will set a model for sustainability and conservation nationally. We are thrilled to partner with Nelson Byrd Woltz, the country's foremost landscape architecture firm, and to establish a dedicated Gardens & Landscapes department. Visitors will experience Mount Vernon not only as Washington's historic home, but as a living collection of his enduring legacy as a farmer, designer, and steward of the land."
“We look forward to showcasing George Washington’s agricultural and landscape innovations, while addressing contemporary needs for sustainability, access, and visitor engagement,” said Anne Neal Petri, Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. “Ever since the pandemic, we have seen the power of Washington’s landscape to engage visitors in new and exciting ways. This master plan will help us continue our commitment to the highest standards of historic preservation while expanding the use and interpretation of the land that Washington loved so dearly.”
“Mount Vernon is one of the most important cultural landscapes in the United States,” said Thomas Woltz, owner and Senior Principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. “We are partnering with the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association to develop a long-term framework that respects the estate’s layered history, while strengthening its ecological resilience and visitor experience. George Washington’s deep engagement with agriculture and land stewardship makes this project uniquely meaningful, and we look forward to contributing to the thoughtful stewardship of this historic landscape.”
The launch of the comprehensive landscape plan follows another significant investment by the MVLA: the appointment of nationally recognized landscape leader Jonathan Kavalier as Executive Director of Gardens & Landscapes. Together, this new executive leadership role and the partnership with NBW signal a long-term institutional commitment to preserving and elevating one of the most iconic cultural landscapes in the United States.
“I am honored to join Mount Vernon at such an important moment,” said Jonathan Kavalier, executive director of Gardens & Landscapes. “Washington understood the land as a place of productivity, beauty, and innovation. This comprehensive landscape plan enables us to preserve the estate’s historic character while advancing ecological resilience and thoughtful stewardship. I look forward to collaborating with NBW and our internal teams to ensure that Mount Vernon’s landscapes remain both historically authentic and dynamically alive.”
This planning initiative builds on a pivotal period of restoration at Mount Vernon, including the recent multi-year Mansion revitalization. With renewed attention on the estate’s historic core, the comprehensive landscape plan offers an opportunity to thoughtfully connect the Mansion quarter with the broader agricultural and natural landscape, deepening interpretation of Washington’s life as a farmer, innovator, and land steward.
NBW will lead an interdisciplinary team that includes Beyer Blinder Belle (historic preservation and architecture), Nitsch Engineering (civil and stormwater engineering), Linnaea Tillett Lighting Design Associates, ETM Associates (operations and management), and additional specialists in ecology, horticulture, and interpretation. The team will address stewardship of 250-year-old trees, soils, drainage systems, circulation networks, viewsheds, agricultural fields, and visitor infrastructure.
Key goals of the plan include:
- Building upon the MVLA’s longstanding standard of excellence in preservation and interpretation
- Expanding public understanding of Washington’s relationship to land, agriculture, and landscape design
- Reflecting Washington’s agricultural experimentation and innovation
- Strengthening ecological resilience and long-term sustainability
- Addressing 21st-century operational, maintenance, staffing, and visitor needs
- Establishing an implementable site framework for phased implementation, aligned with the MVLA’s mission
Through this comprehensive effort, the landscape plan will reveal Mount Vernon not only as a historic home but as a working landscape shaped by experimentation, agriculture, design, and stewardship. The resulting framework will guide the estate’s preservation and evolution for generations to come.
Mount Vernon’s gardens and landscapes, including its formal pleasure gardens, working farm, woodlands, and historic vistas, are central to the estate’s interpretation of Washington’s life and leadership. As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of American independence, Mount Vernon continues to invest in the careful preservation and thoughtful evolution of its historic landscape as a living testament to Washington’s enduring legacy.
