Archaeologists at George Washington’s Mount Vernon have discovered dozens of glass jars filled with fruit preserves in the basement of the historic Northern Virginia mansion that “likely had not seen the light of day since before the American Revolutionary War.”
Of the 35 bottles, 29 remain intact, and all contain cherry, gooseberry or currant flavors, the home and museum of the first U.S. president said in a press release on Friday.
“Such an incredible archaeological discovery was never imagined in our wildest dreams,” Doug Bradburn, president and CEO of the Mount Vernon Company, said in a statement.
“Last month we were overjoyed when two 18th century bottles containing biological material were found completely intact. Now we know that those bottles were just the beginning of this major discovery.”
Bradburn called the find an “unprecedented” one, adding, “Never before has anything of this size and importance been excavated in North America. We now have a wealth of artifacts and material to analyze that may provide powerful insight into the origins of our country, and we hope that the cherry pits recovered can be used for future germination. It is only fitting that these bottles were unearthed just before the 250th anniversary of the United States of America in 2026.”
The discovery comes two months after two bottles containing a “mystery” liquid were found along with cherries and seeds.
Experts believe the jar was originally filled with cherries.
The glass jars were placed underground between 1758 and 1776 to refrigerate food.
“For some reason, these things were left behind and remained intact, which is what makes this find so special, because it’s pretty rare to find 18th century food remains intact, other than things that are pretty durable, like animal bones,” said Jason Borrows, Mount Vernon’s lead archaeologist. Fox 5DC at that time.
All of the newly discovered bottles were removed from five storage pits in the home’s basement, and the remains are kept refrigerated in the home’s archaeological lab.
The remains will soon undergo scientific analysis in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.
So far, 54 cherry pits and 23 stems have been identified, indicating that the wine was likely full of cherries at the time of bottling.
Once the bottles are dry, they are sent outside for storage.
The archaeological discovery comes as George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate is undergoing a privately funded, $40 million redevelopment project.
Birdburn said the bottles “probably hadn’t seen the light of day since before the American Revolutionary War” and were likely forgotten when Washington left home to command the Continental Army during the war.
He continued, “This means that the bottle is extremely fragile and requires extreme care. The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association is America’s first historic preservation organization, so it’s not surprising that such a remarkable discovery was made at Mount Vernon. We are fortunate to have top archaeologists and historic preservation experts on staff who know how to effectively manage, analyze and protect this incredible find.”
In the 18th century, the best way to protect preserved foods from the Virginia heat was to store them underground.
“One of the best ways to preserve these kinds of fruits and vegetables was underground,” Borrows said after the initial discovery.
“So sometime after 1758, but before 1776, somebody dug a hole in one of the cellar floors… a rectangular-like hole, about a foot deep. These bottles were placed in there, and then filled in with thick clay.”
After the second discovery, he added, “These incredible discoveries continue to amaze us. Harvested and cooked more than 250 years ago, these perfectly preserved fruits provide an extremely rare opportunity to contribute to our knowledge of the 18th century environment, plantation eating habits, and the origins of American cuisine.”
“The bottle and its contents are a testament to the knowledge and skill of the slaves who prepared the food from tree to table, including Dole, the cook who was brought to Mount Vernon by Martha Washington in 1759 and put in charge of overseeing the plantation kitchen.”
After his marriage in 1759, Washington moved to a house on the Potomac River, where he died of a throat infection in 1799 at age 67.
He served as president from 1789 to 1797 and is buried in the mansion.