After guests toured the new George Washington Library they were brought by shuttle bus the short distance to the George Washington’s historic home, which was open for wandering in the early part of the evening. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
Walking through Mount Vernon’s center hall toward the piazza, the party and a panoramic view of the Potomac River and Maryland coastline. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
Cocktails were served on Mount Vernon’s lawn. As sun set, guests moved to the large adjacent tent for dinner, speeches, and dancing. Later there would be fireworks over the Potomac.
Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
Among the few hundred guests at the George Washington library celebration dinner, and standing out from the crowd like a pair of movie stars, former Utah governor and 2012 Republican presidential candidate John Huntsman and his wife, Mary Kaye. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
The music, while not exactly of George Washington’s period, was classic and designed more for the foxtrot than the minuet. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
The tent was decked out with tablecloths, flowers, and a stage that replicated a library. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
The Fife and Drum Corps played the guests into the tent for dinner. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association own, preserve, and run Mount Vernon Estate. The association’s regent, Ann Bookout, called out the names of the people who donated $250,000 or more to the library. Many of them were at the dinner. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
The still wines that were served were from Virginia, but the Champagne was French—Moët & Chandon. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
Singer/songwriters husband and wife Amy Grant and Vince Gill performed between dinner (an entrée of beef tenderloin) and the dessert of chocolate crunch cake. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
The dinner for the George Washington library began with tours, followed by cocktails on Mount Vernon’s lawn, dinner in this tent, and then fireworks over the Potomac. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
Mount Vernon after the guests moved from the lawn into the tented dinner. Is this when the ghost of George Washington moves around? It looks that way. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
