MOUNT VERNON, Va. — Archeologists have found more glass jars underneath George Washington's Mount Vernon estate while the mansion undergoes a massive revitalization project. We first told you about jars of cherries from the 18th century discovered at Mount Vernon back in April. It turns out, those jars were just the beginning of a much larger discovery.
Now, archeologists have uncovered 35 glass bottles from the same time period. They were found in five storage pits in the mansion's cellar. Of the 35 bottles, 29 are intact and contain more cherries as well as berries, likely gooseberries or currants. The bottles are slowly drying in the Mount Vernon archaeology lab and will be sent off-site for conservation.
“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. The bottles and contents are a testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table, including Doll, the cook brought to Mount Vernon by Martha Washington in 1759 and charged with oversight of the estate’s kitchen,” said Mount Vernon Principal Archaeologist Jason Boroughs.
Officials say that while only a small quantity of the samples have been analyzed to date, the findings are significant even at this early stage:
- 54 cherry pits and 23 stems have been identified thus far, suggesting that the bottles were likely full of cherries before bottling. Cherry pulp is also present.
- Microscopy suggests that the cherries may have been harvested by snipping from trees with shears. The stems were neatly cut and purposefully left attached to the fruit before bottling.
- The cherries likely are of a tart variety, which has a more acidic composition that may have aided in preservation.
- The cherries are likely candidates for DNA extraction, which could be compared against a database of heirloom varieties to determine the precise species.
- The pits are undergoing an examination to determine if any are viable for germination.
More discoveries are possible as the mansion revitalization project continues. The project is being conducted in four phases and is scheduled for completion in 2026.
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