Washington's Ferry Farm

Farm road American Indians, early English pioneers, a gentleman entrepreneur, and the boy who would become “The Father of His Country,” all laid claim, at one time or another, to the area now known as Ferry Farm. The plantation was renowned for farming, fishing, and the ferry that crossed the Rappahannock River. The Civil War disrupted these peaceful activities, with Ferry Farm serving as a firing position and a staging ground for the Union Army’s invasions of Fredericksburg.

Over thousands of years, American Indians periodically inhabited the lands that today make up Ferry Farm. Archaeological finds include a spear point made over 10,000 years ago by a big-game hunter, numerous tools associated with bands of hunter/gatherers, and pottery created by native farmers.

The first European claim on the property was a land patent granted to John Catlett in 1666. By 1710, the tract had been subdivided into several small farms, with Maurice Clark in ownership of what would become Ferry Farm. In 1727, the property was sold to William Strother, a lawyer and a Burgess for the newly formed King George County.

In 1738, George Washington’s father, Augustine, acquired the plantation from the Strother estate. Augustine Washington held political office, owned several thriving plantations, and was a managing partner of Accokeek Iron Furnace located six miles north of Ferry Farm on a tributary of the Potomac River. He moved to Ferry Farm in the fall of 1738 with his second wife, Mary Ball Washington, and their four young children. The property was described as:

“… lying about 2 miles below the Falls of the Rappahannock, close on the River Side, with a very handsome Dwelling house, 3 Store houses, several other convenient Out-houses, and a Ferry belonging to it …”

Although the ferry was situated on the property, it was not owned or operated by the Washingtons and they derived no income from it.

Artist rendering of Washington farm
Artist's rendering by L.H. Barker © 2008 The Washingtons' early years at Ferry Farm were marked by a series of disasters. Their house was damaged by fire on Christmas Eve, 1740. The entire family was forced to live in the kitchen dependency until the house was repaired. Even more tragic to the Washingtons was the death of two family members. In 1740, George’s younger sister Mildred died in infancy. Three years later, Augustine Washington died, leaving a will that divided his property among his sons, with Ferry Farm going to George. His widow, Mary Ball Washington, never remarried. She and her children remained on the plantation, farming it with her enslaved laborers. George Washington continued to call Ferry Farm home until 1752.

In 1772, Mary Washington moved into the town of Fredericksburg and in 1774, Ferry Farm was sold to Dr. Hugh Mercer. After making improvements to the existing structures, Mercer intended to establish the plantation as his home, but the Revolutionary War interrupted his plans. Mercer, a brigadier general, died from wounds received at the Battle of Princeton. The family never occupied Ferry Farm but leased it instead.

In 1846, Winter Bray purchased the property, which remained in his family’s hands until 1872. During the Civil War, Ferry Farm served as a staging ground for the Union offensive against the Confederate-held city of Fredericksburg. After the bloody battle, the farm served as part of the Union Army’s dismal winter camp. Period maps and photographs indicate that any remaining structures (and most of the trees) on the property were gone by 1863, probably burned as fuel.

In the 1870s, the Carson family purchased the property. At the beginning of the 20th century, Ferry Farm was purchased and farmed by James B. Colbert. Interest in preserving Ferry Farm as a memorial to George Washington grew with the approach of the 1932 bicentennial of his birth. The National Park Service considered undertaking the preservation and restoration of Ferry Farm, but decided instead to focus its efforts on Washington's birthplace at Pope's Creek, on the Potomac River.

In 1928, the newly formed George Washington Foundation purchased 160 acres of the land from Colbert. It was the intention of this Foundation to turn the farm into an historic shrine. Unfortunately, the owners were unable to maintain their mortgage, and the heirs of James B. Colbert bought out the foundation’s equity. After World War II, the George Washington Boyhood Home Restoration Organization purchased 50 acres of the original Washington tract, but this second attempt at preserving the property failed due to lack of financial support. However, the Ferry Farm site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

In 1990, the Samuel Warren family, then owners of the property, donated 36 acres to Stafford County. In 1993, the George Washington Boyhood Home Foundation was formed in order to develop Ferry Farm as a historical attraction. The Foundation completed a significant archaeological study of the property, which located many important artifacts, and worked with an architectural firm to develop plans for a visitor center. An adjacent 25 acre parcel to the east was zoned for commercial development. In 1996, Wal-Mart proposed to build a store on the parcel. This move was strongly opposed by local residents, and the application was denied by Stafford County.

In 1996, the citizens of Stafford County sold 36 acres to The George Washington Foundation (then known as the Kenmore Association) contingent upon the Association's agreement to develop the property in accordance with the plans drawn up by the George Washington Boyhood Home Foundation. The Kenmore Association also purchased the commercially zoned section of the property. In 1998, a bill was passed in Congress that provided an easement to include Ferry Farm as a part of the George Washington Birthplace National Monument to protect the site in perpetuity. Today, approximately 85 acres, including the entire length of the original Washington waterfront, is under the Foundation’s stewardship. Ferry Farm was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000 and was added to the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network in 2005. While the archaeological work continues, plans are underway for construction of new visitor facilities in the coming years.

Ferry Farm has been saved for future generations due to the care and concern of many individuals, organizations, and government entities. Won't you, as an individual, help support this great work?