Pogue was joined by other dignitaries to reopen George Washington’s distillery.
How long have you been working on the restoration?
We’ve been working on it for close to 10 years. We did an archeological excavation back in 1999, then for the last year have been working on constructing the building. We dedicated it [Wednesday]. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, joined us.
Why did Washington set up a distillery?
Washington came back [to Mount Vernon] in 1797 after serving as president, and hired a plantation manager from Philadelphia who was a Scotsman named James Anderson. [Anderson] lobbied for him to set up a distillery. Washington was receptive. He was getting older and looking for some new revenue streams.
Was the distillery successful?
The first year they operated they only generated about 600 gallons of rye whiskey. They started off small. By the end of the year, they were convinced it was in fact going to be profitable. By the spring of 1798, the building was up and running and they were operating. When Washington died in 1799, they made almost 11,000 gallons of product.
How much did they sell the whiskey for? Who did they sell it to?
The sold it to local folks, and they sold two grades of whiskey. There was common whiskey, which went for about 60 cents per gallon. Then there was higher quality, which was distilled up to four times, which went for up to a dollar a gallon.
What happened to the distillery after Washington’s death?
When Washington died in 1799 … Lawrence Lewis, who was married to Marsha Washington’s granddaughter Nelly Custis, took over the estate. He wasn’t a shrewd businessman. We lose track after 1808, and in 1814 the building burned. Lewis collected on the insurance.
What kind of shape was the distillery in when you started restoration?
By the time we started, there was nothing above the ground you could see on the site. But the [remnants of the] building were in remarkably good shape. We found the footprint of the building, the location of the five stills and all sorts of other evidence for how the building was set up.
Will the distillery make whiskey?
We will not produce on a daily basis. But we could, and I think we will on special occasions.
