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Mount Vernon tractor rides: A behind the scenes look at the historical estate

Dean Norton takes visitors on a rare tour of Mount Vernon and features some of the properties sustainable practices.

MOUNT VERNON, Va. — George Washington’s Mount Vernon Mansion is undergoing a $40 million revitalization. This project has caused a few of the rooms to be temporarily off limits to the public, but to make up for that there are new adventures you can have like the tractor trail rides. 

This rare exhibition is guided by Dean Norton, the Director of Horticulture and Livestock, who has worked at Mount Vernon for 55 years. He drives around the property in a big blue tractor with a tailor full of people attached. On the ride, Norton takes visitors behind the scenes of Mount Vernon. He showcases the woodshop, animals, the new barns and stables and several of the eco-friendly aspects of the property. 

Mount Vernon is nearly 500 acres of forest, and every tree adds to the history of the land. Back in the 1700s when Washington himself owned the grounds he was passionate about preserving its natural resources. He instructed those who worked on the grounds to only use trees that were dead or fallen for firewood instead of cutting down healthy trees. He tired to use the land in a way that it would still be vital for generations to come. 

Washington also cared for some of the land's rare animals like Ossabaw Island Hogs and Hog Island Sheep. Many of these practices are still honored today. 

“We take care of trees on the property when they die," said Norton. "We leave them standing if they're all by themselves and let them just do their thing. If they're close to a road or people, we just cut the superstructure out and leave the trunk, which allows a whole new series of bugs and birds to kind of work on that tree and it's just good for the environment."

When a tree dies on the estate, it does not go to waste. The wood is used to update or fix parts of the mansion. Since many of the trees were alive in the 1800s, using the wood in the mansion can help maintain historical accuracy. 

“As far as the forest and other areas, we still have some trees dating back to Washington's time and we take care of them as well as we do all our trees as best we can," said Norton. "But when one of those fall, we'll make sure to preserve what we can first. We make very special items out of them, which I think in a lot of respects and honors that tree. Then the preservation carpenters have first rights of refusal. They want that wood that they can mill if there's any replacement or restoration work that needs to occur in the mansion. They can use actually 18th century wood that came from the estate.” 

The property also uses its livestock to create its own compost that is used as fertilizer for the gardens. 

The Tractor Trail Tours are coming to an end but with the holidays right around the corner there are plenty of events that you can come and enjoy at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.  

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