African-American caretaker of Mount Vernon memorialized
Family says
former slave was
buried in the
tomb of George
Washington
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
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DENVER - The MounI
Vernon Estate celebrated
George Washington's 270th
birthday with a presidential
wreath laying at his tomb
recently. West Ford also was
remembered with a wreath lay
ing by his descendants.
It is well documented that
Ford, once a slave of the
Washington family and freed at
the age of 21, was a longtime
caretaker at Mount Vernon.
"West Ford had a relationship
with the Washingtons that went
Kf*vnnrl fhul r?f u nri\/ilona/4 cor
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vant," said Linda Allen-Bryant,
fifth great-granddaughter of
West Ford.
"We are very pleased that
the Mount Vernon Ladies'
Association has given us the
opportunity to honor our fami
ly's patriarch," Allen-Bryant
said.
"Every year the slave
memorial is recognized by the
I
association at this celebration
and this is the first time West
Ford will be . singled out and
honored."
The Ford oral history states
that George Washington was the
father of Ford and this was.what
gave him his privileged status.
Ford was given 160 acres of
land at Gum Springs in Fairfax
County. Va., a few miles from
the Mount Vernon Estate. Ford's
original land grant is now the
oldest African-American settle
ment in Fairfax.
The Mount Vernon Ladies'
Association purchased
Washington's estate in 1858,
and Ford was retained to help in
its refurbishing. Ford died on
the estate in 1863 and his
descendants claim he was
buried in the old tomb of the
first president.
"We hope to make this
wreath-laying ceremony an
annual event for the Ford
descendants," Allen-Bryant
saia. we are in me process or
formally requesting the associa
tion for (a) dap to hold a Ford
family reunion at Mount
Vernon, similar to what has
occurred with the Jefferson fam
ily descendants at Monticello."
Allen-Bryant is the author of
"I Cannot Tell a Lie: The True
Story of George Washington's
African American 1
Descendants." i
ski rnoio
Virginia's Mount Vernon was the home of the first president of the United States, George Washington. It is one of the nation's
most popular historic tourist destinations.
I
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