Ferry Farm facts for kids
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George Washington Boyhood Home Site
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The replica house built on the site of the original Washington home at Ferry Farm.
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Stafford County, Virginia, USA |
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| Nearest city | Fredericksburg, Virginia |
| Area | 68.8 acres (278,000 m2) |
| Built | 1738 |
| Architectural style | Central-passage house |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001417 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 5, 1972 |
| Designated NHL | February 16, 2000 |
Ferry Farm is the name of the farm and home where George Washington spent most of his childhood. It is also known as the George Washington Boyhood Home Site. The farm is in Stafford County, Virginia, right by the Rappahannock River. It sits across from the city of Fredericksburg.
In 2008, archaeologists found the remains of George Washington's boyhood home. This house had a fire around 1740. They found old items like pieces of a tea set that likely belonged to George's mother, Mary Ball Washington. In 2015, a new replica of Washington's home began construction. It was finished in 2018 and is now open for visitors to explore.
History of Ferry Farm
The farm got its name, Ferry Farm, after the Washington family moved away. It was named after a free ferry that crossed the Rappahannock River on Washington land. The family did not own or run the ferry. We don't know what the farm was called when the Washingtons lived there. Later, in the late 1800s, it was also known as Pine Grove.
Before the Washington Family
For thousands of years, Native American groups lived on the land that is now Ferry Farm. Archaeologists have found many items there. These include a spear point from over 10,000 years ago. They also found tools used by hunter-gatherers and pottery made by early farmers.
The first European to claim this land was John Catlett in 1666. By 1710, the land was split into smaller farms. Maurice Clark owned the part that would become Ferry Farm. In 1727, William Strother, a lawyer, bought the property.
In 1738, George Washington's father, Augustine, bought the farm. Augustine Washington was an important man. He held political jobs and owned several successful farms. He also helped manage an iron factory. He moved to Ferry Farm in the fall of 1738. He came with his second wife, Mary Ball Washington, and their five young children.
The Washington Family's Time
George Washington lived in a few different places during his life. He was born at Pope's Creek, Virginia, and lived there until 1735. From 1735 to 1738, his family lived briefly at Little Hunting Creek. This place was later renamed Mount Vernon by his older brother Lawrence.
The Washington family moved to Ferry Farm in 1738 when George was six years old. They called it the Home Farm. The house was built by Augustine Washington. It was a 1½-story home with a central hallway. It sat on a high bank overlooking the Rappahannock River. Digs in 2008 showed the house was about 54 feet wide and 28 feet deep. It was the second house built on that spot.
George inherited the farm and lived in the house until his early 20s. However, George Washington did not feel a strong connection to the land. He saw it as a "crowded, busy, trouble-filled place." After his father died, George found his true passion: surveying. He used his father's old surveying tools at age 16. Surveying helped him connect with his brother Lawrence and the Fairfax family.
By age 18, George was given 453 acres of land in western Frederick County. He surveyed this land and bought more nearby. Soon, he owned almost two thousand acres in western lands. This was more land than Ferry Farm would be worth. George often stayed with his half-brother Lawrence at Mount Vernon.
George's mother, Mary, lived in the house until 1772. She then moved to Fredericksburg. The farm was sold to a friend, Hugh Mercer. By 1833, the Washington-era house was in ruins.
After the Washington Family
A new farmhouse was built on the site in 1850 for a farm manager. During the American Civil War in 1862, there were small fights near Ferry Farm. The area around the farm saw many encounters between Confederate and Union armies. This was because of the ferries and train lines nearby. Many big battles happened in the city of Fredericksburg, but not directly on the farm.
Union soldiers sometimes used Ferry Farm as a camp during the war. They prepared for battles there. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln visited Ferry Farm. Many soldiers knew the Cherry Tree Myth about Washington. They carved small items from a tree they thought was part of the story. Much of the farm was destroyed during the war. Another new farmhouse was built in the 1870s, along with other buildings. A small "surveyor's shed" from this time still stands.
Since the 1920s, people have tried to save the property and make money from it. James Beverly Colbert wanted to profit from its link to Washington. A writer, George Allan England, wrote ads to promote the land's history. He used many of the famous stories about Washington. Colbert also claimed a small building, "The Surveyor Shed," was a real historical item, even though it wasn't. They hoped to sell the land quickly before George Washington's 200th birthday celebration. But other historical sites also wanted to be saved, and the Great Depression ended their plans.
In later years, different groups tried to make Washington's boyhood home a "national shrine." In the 1960s, a home for troubled boys was built on the site. This project left a large building that now holds a museum, offices, and an archaeology lab. Visitors can see it since 2006.
In the 1990s, leaders in Stafford County wanted to save the site and bring business. This led to a plan for Wal-Mart to buy the land and build a large store next to the historic site. Many people in Fredericksburg were against this. They worried it would harm the town's view and its important tourist business. It would also hurt the town's charm.
Eventually, a deal was made. Historic Kenmore, the home of Washington's sister Betty, bought the site. This was done with help from the National Park Service and state funds. Historic Kenmore became The George Washington Foundation in 2008. This foundation now manages both Ferry Farm and Kenmore. It also oversees Augustine Washington's ironworks.
Ferry Farm was named a National Historic Landmark in 2000.
Archaeological digs began in 2002. Experts David Muraca and Philip Levy led these digs. Their goal was to find and understand the original Washington farm. In 2008, they announced they had found the original home site. It included the foundations of a 53 by 37-foot home. The home had a small fire when George Washington lived there. In 2018, a replica of the original home was finished over these foundations. Guided tours are offered daily. Ferry Farm also has programs for children and other public events.
The site is located at 237 King's Highway (Virginia Route 3), near Fredericksburg.
Preservation Efforts
Archaeology at the Site
The George Washington Foundation bought the land in 1996. Since 2003, they have supported an archaeology field school there. Philip Levy and David Muraca lead the summer digs. They work with university groups and volunteers. Archaeologists and volunteers have found items from many time periods. These include prehistoric times, the Civil War, and later.
The Replica House
From 2006 to 2008, the archaeology team found the cellar of George Washington's boyhood home. This helped them find the exact spot of the house. They used the remains and items found to date the house to the 1740s. This was when the Washington family lived there.
In 2015, work began on a replica house. It was built right over the original foundations. Builders used information from the digs and old descriptions of the house. They also used knowledge of similar homes from Colonial Virginia. The house was built using 18th-century methods by skilled craftspeople. It was finished and opened in 2018.
The house is filled with copies of furniture and objects. These are like the items listed in Augustine Washington's inventory when he died in 1743. Because they are copies, tour guides let guests touch and interact with everything. Visitors can sit on the furniture, open cabinets, and handle objects.
Foundation and Museum
The George Washington Foundation now owns Ferry Farm. They also own Kenmore, the Fredericksburg home of Washington's sister Betty. The Foundation gets money from donors and grants. They have managed the land since the Walmart purchase.
Besides funding and managing the digs, they plan to rebuild the historical landscape. They also want to build a new visitor's center at the site.
Prehistoric Finds
Items found at Ferry Farm date back to 10,000 B.C. This period of prehistoric items continues until 1,500 B.C. These items include hunting and gathering tools. Prehistoric people used them to hunt animals around the Rappahannock River. The land around Ferry Farm was rich and full of many animals.
Examples of tools found are spear points, stone axes, and quartz scrapers.
Colonial Life Items
Many interesting items from the Colonial Period have been found. These include parts of 18th-century wig hair curlers. These were used to keep wigs neat for George Washington's younger brothers. Wigs were a very expensive part of a wealthy man's clothing in the late 1700s.
Civil War Items
The Civil War reached Ferry Farm in 1862. Many items from this time have been found. These include bullets, ink bottles, and buttons from uniforms.
Ferry Farm in Stories and Myths
The Cherry Tree Story
Ferry Farm is the setting for some of the most famous stories about George Washington. These stories were made popular by Mason Locke Weems, also known as Parson Weems. He wrote about them in the early 1800s.
One famous story appeared in Weems's 1806 book, Life of Washington. It tells of a 6-year-old George who chopped down one of his father's favorite cherry trees. He used a new hatchet. When his father asked him about it, George confessed. He said, "I cannot tell a lie; I did it with my little hatchet."
George Washington's step-grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, shared another version of the story. In this one, George Washington tried to ride his mother's new horse. He rode the horse so hard that a blood vessel burst, and the horse died. Like the cherry tree story, George admitted what he had done when asked.
Both stories celebrate George Washington's honesty. They also share a theme of loss. Washington knew about loss after his father died and he lost the chance to study abroad.
The Silver Dollar Toss
Ferry Farm is also said to be the place where George Washington "threw a silver dollar across the Rappahannock River." It is possible to skip a coin or flat rock across that part of the river. However, the river was much wider back then, making the feat harder.
Every year on Washington's birthday, people are invited to try and repeat this throw. In 2006, an archaeology intern named Jim Trueman successfully threw a coin across. He did it again the next summer to show it wasn't just luck.
