SANKOFA'S SLAVERY DATA COLLECTION
Muddy Hole Farm
Location: Fairfax Co., VA
Constructed: ----
History: Mount Vernon was home to George Washington for more than 45 years. First known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation, the Estate was originally granted to Washington's great grandfather John Washington in 1674. It eventually passed to Washington's older half-brother, Lawrence, who renamed the property Mount Vernon after his commanding officer, Admiral Edward Vernon of the British navy. George Washington inherited the property upon the death of his brother Lawrence's widow in 1761.
At the age of eleven (1743), he inherited ten slaves and 500 acres of land. When he began farming Mount Vernon eleven years later, at the age of 22, he had a work force of about 36 slaves. With his marriage to Martha Custis in 1759, 20 of her slaves came to Mount Vernon. After their marriage, Washington purchased even more slaves. The slave population also increased because the slaves were marrying and raising their own families. By 1799, when George Washington died, there were 316 slaves living on the estate.
The skilled and manual labor needed to run Mount Vernon was largely provided by slaves. Many of the working slaves were trained in crafts such as milling, coopering, blacksmithing, carpentry,and shoemaking. The others worked as house servants, boatmen, coachmen or field hands. Some female slaves were also taught skills, particularly spinning, weaving and sewing, while others worked as house servants or in the laundry, the dairy, or the kitchen. Many female slaves also worked in the fields. Almost three-quarters of the 184 working slaves at Mount Vernon worked in the fields, and of those, about 60% were women.
Over the years, Washington enlarged the residence and built up the property from 2,000 to nearly 8,000 acres. He divided the acreage into five working farms: Dogue Run, Muddy Hole, River, Union and Mansion House Farm (where he lived with his family).
In his will, George Washington arranged for all of the slaves he owned to be freed after the death of his wife, Martha. He also left instructions for the continued care and education of some of his former slaves, support and training for all of the children until they came of age, and continuing support for the elderly.
Associated surnames: Custis, Washington
Associated Plantations: Dogue Run Farm (Fairfax Co., VA); Mansion House Farm (Fairfax Co., VA); River Farm (Farifax Co., VA); Union Farm (Fairfax Co., VA)
Associated Free White Names
Associated Black Slave Names
1786: Slaves at Muddy Hole Farm (*Slaves owned by marriage/ dower of Martha Washington)
From George Washington's Diaries, 18 February 1786; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/diaries/list/muddy.html
- Alice: laboring woman, 1 child
- child Kate: age 4
- Amy: laboring woman
- Charles: laboring man
- Darcus: laboring woman, 2 children
- child Moses: age 8
- child Townshend: age 6
- Gabriel: laboring man
- *Jupiter: laboring man
- Kate: laboring woman, 4 children
- child Molly: age 14
- child Virgin: age 11
- child Will: age 8
- child Kate: age 4
- Nancy: laboring woman
- Nanny: laboring woman
- Peg: laboring woman, 2 children
- child Letty: age 7
- child Forrister: age 2
- Sackey: laboring woman, 1 child
- child Uriah: age 10
- Sarah: laboring woman
- child Isbel: age 3
- *Will: overseer
- *Will: laboring man
1799: Muddy Hole Farm slaves (in bold) owned by George Washington in his own right and by marriage* (dower of wife Martha Washington)
From George Washington's Will, 1799; http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/will/slalis/mansion.html
- Alce: age 38
- husband Sam: cook; at Mansion House Farm
- dau Kate short: age 18
- son George: age 8
- son Adam: age 7
- dau Cecelia: age 2
- Amie: age 30; no husband
- dau Rainey: age 8
- dau Urinah: age 2
- Darcus: age 36
- husband James: carpenter; at Mansion House Farm
- son Moses: age 19
- son Townshend: age 14
- dau Alce: age 8
- dau Nancy: age 2
- *Davy: age 56; overseer
- wife *Molly: age 76
- Gabriel: age 30
- wife Judy: at Dogue Run Farm
- Isaac: age 29; in his prime; no wife [note: Isaac is listed amongst the Dogue Run Farm slaves hired from Mrs. French. It is noted that he lives at Muddy Hole Farm]
- Isbel: age 16; daughter of Sarah (deceased)
- Kate long: age 18; daughter of Kate
- Letty: age 19; no husband
- son Billy: age 2
- son Henry: age 1
- *Mary: age 11; daughter of Betty at Union Farm
- Molly: age 26; no husband
- dau Sylvia: age 10
- son James: age 7
- Nancy: age 28
- husband Abram: French's slave
- son Oliver: age 11
- dau Siss: age 8
- son Martin: age 1
- Nanny: old
- husband Tom: cooper; at Mansion House Farm
- *Patience: age 14; daughter of Dolly at Union Farm
- Peg: age 34
- husband Nathan: cook; at Mansion House Farm
- dau Lucy: age 11
- dau Diana: age 8
- son Alexander: age 3
- dau Darcus: age 1
- Sacky: age 40; no husband
- Uriah: age 24
- Virgin: age 24
- husband Gabriel: Mr. Lear's
- *Will (mink): age 60
- wife Kate: old
Agriculture
Description of Associated Architecture
Other People Researching This Plantation
RESOURCES