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GEORGE WASHINGTON: FIRST WEATHERMAN?
Few know of George Washingtons preoccupation with the weather, which historians feel derived from his original occupation that of a farmer. At times, Washington recorded the temperature in his personal journal as often as three times a day morning, noon and sunset. He even had his wife, Martha, record the weather while he was away!
Washington apparently had a knack for controlling the "indoor weather," especially during the hot Virginia summers. This is demonstrated through the architecture of Mount Vernon. The south-facing two-story portico creates shade that shelters the house from the summer sun and benefits from the Potomac River breeze. On the main floor, the courtyard entrance opens into a large hall with doors leading to the piazza at the opposite end. When both sets of doors are open, a breezeway is created helping, along with the high ceilings, to cool the first floor. The large, windowed cupola on the roof provides more than just a view with the windows open, rising warm air is drawn out of the house by natural air currents outside.
In addition to his writings, Washington left traces of his interest in the weather throughout Mount Vernon. Here are a few of the highlights.
Dove of Peace Weathervane Washington placed an extraordinary weathervane atop Mount Vernons cupola in 1787. Considered a crowning symbol of peace, the dove-shaped weathervane allowed Washington to note wind direction. The vane, which was made to Washingtons specifications, is a one-of-a-kind object and one of the great treasures of the Mount Vernon collection.
Fan Chair Washington first saw a fan chair in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, during the Constitutional Convention. Before departing, he purchased his own chair and had it placed in his private study. Although his original chair was sold in 1802, the chair currently in the study is comparable and is one of only a few in existence today. The fan apparatus is a separate unit that attaches to a Windsor chair. A paste-board fan is attached to an upright post and two treadles which, when pumped, cause the fan to move back and forth overhead, thus creating a pleasant breeze.
Thermometer Washingtons first recording of temperature was in 1785, demonstrating that he was one of the first Americans to use a mercury thermometer. So important was this ritual that just days before retiring from the presidency in 1797, Washington wrote to his secretary, Tobias Lear, requesting a new thermometer "that tells the state of the Mercury within 24 hours" for his use at Mount Vernon. Washington placed the thermometer in his bedroom and continued his lifelong fascination with noting and recording temperature.
Hand Fans The Mount Vernon collection includes several remarkable ivory and paper hand-held fans for stirring the air on hot Virginia days. Martha Washington owned several such fans, each hand-painted in bright colors and featuring a pastoral setting of a company of young adults. Because of the fragile nature of the fans, it is difficult to exhibit them without proper environmental controls.
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