Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable find at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, marking yet another significant discovery in recent months at the historic Virginia site.
This site, once home to America’s inaugural president, has been buzzing with excitement following a discovery in the mansion’s cellar. Here, experts found dozens of glass jars brimming with fruit preserves that seem to have been untouched since before the American Revolution.
A total of 35 bottles were unearthed, with 29 remaining intact. These containers hold a variety of fruits, including cherries, gooseberries, and currants.
“Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine this spectacular archaeological discovery,” said Doug Bradburn, President & CEO of Mount Vernon. “We were ecstatic last month to uncover two fully intact 18th-century bottles containing biological matter. Now we know those bottles were just the beginning of this blockbuster discovery. To our knowledge, this is an unprecedented find and nothing of this scale and significance has ever been excavated in North America.”
Bradburn also shared their hopes that the cherry pits found might still be viable for germination, adding, “It’s so appropriate that these bottles have been unearthed shortly before the 250th anniversary of the United States.”
The stunning revelation comes on the heels of an earlier discovery of two bottles containing a ‘mysterious liquid’. These bottles, also filled with cherries, were likely buried between 1758 and 1766 as a method to refrigerate the fruit.
Mount Vernon’s Principal Archaeologist, Jason Boroughs, remarked on the significance of these findings. “These extraordinary discoveries continue to astonish us. These perfectly preserved fruits picked and prepared more than 250 years ago provide an incredibly rare opportunity to contribute to our knowledge of the 18th-century environment, plantation foodways, and the origins of American cuisine,” he explained.
Boroughs highlighted the skill of the enslaved workers who managed these preparations, specifically mentioning Doll, a cook who oversaw the estate’s kitchen under Martha Washington’s direction starting in 1759.
As Mount Vernon prepares for a transformative $40 million Mansion Revitalization Project aimed at preserving the home for America’s 250th birthday in 2026, Bradburn considers this discovery a fitting prelude. “This historic preservation project is Mount Vernon’s birthday gift to America,” he concluded.