Well, lets get this out of the way first; There's an airplane in the South lawn.  Apparently George also likes to fly.

Now... we need to figure out when the mansion was built.  Then we will have to decide if and when renovations were sufficient to change that date and effectively treat it as if it were being built as a new house. For the purpose of flying star Feng Shui, time is measured in 20 year ruling periods. We will concern ourselves in this study, with the periods of George Washington's time.

Period 3: 1724-1744

Period 4: 1744-1764

Period 5: 1764-1784

Period 6: 1784-1804

To determine the period of the chart, we have to know what period Mount Vernon was built or extensively remodeled. 

When the mansion was first built it was much smaller and the house was known as Hunting Creek Plantation.  It would be considered a period 3 structure.  George Washington's father, Augustine Washington lived there with his family for 4 years before moving to the Fredericksburg area and deeding the Mount Vernon house to his eldest son, Lawrence.  Lawrence Washington renamed the plantation after the British Navy Officer, Admiral Edward Vernon.  He had served under Admiral Vernon in the Caribbean.

Mount Vernon was renovated by Lawrence between 1743 and 1752, raising the roof and creating a second floor.  The house would have become a period 4 structure after these major renovations. Lawrence Washington died in 1752, leaving Mount Vernon to his wife. 

George Washington bought the rights to Mount Vernon from the widow of Lawrence.  When she died, he inherited Mount Vernon outright.  From that moment it would forever be known as, "George Washington's Mount Vernon".

At this time George was a busy young man.  In 1753 he joined the Virginia Regiment, fought in the French and Indian War, and in 1755, became an aide to General Braddock.  In 1758 he left the military and began extensive work on Mount Vernon, raising the roof again and creating a third floor.  Work on the mansion continued when he married Martha Dandridge Custis in 1759.  By then he was all of 27 years old. Mount Vernon retained its period 4 chart.

After finding the period of the house we must decide what direction it faces.  This house has no distinct facing or sitting and has confused many as to which is the front and which is the rear.  We will use logic to determine which is yin (quiet) and which is yang (energetic). 

Like a good comfortable armchair, a house should have a mountain in the back and some smaller supporting features on each side.  Mount Vernon sits on the highest point of the area.  However, there are outbuildings, and these serve as mountains for the stars in their areas (arms for the armchair). 

Photo above shows the facing of Mt Vernon.

The large expanse of lawn, with its circular drive, brings visitors to the mansion today as it did in George Washington's day.  It is a very yang feature.  General Washington himself laid out the plans for the driveway, ordered trees planted along it, and arranged for the symmetrical placement of outbuildings.  Many of those trees are still standing, and have grown large and strong along with the country he worked so hard to build.  Everything at Mount Vernon is there for a reason, and was intended to be beautiful as well as functional. 

Monica Hess,  Feng Shui Consultant, Instructor and Lecturer, Lexington, KY

www.monicahess.com

member Feng Shui Research Center   and  The Feng Shui Network