On this day 250 years ago in Fairfax County, Virginia, George Washington purchased 1168 acres of land west of Four Mile Run from the brothers George and James Mercer. The purchase was very complicated and involved agents representing George Mercer, who was then in England, and Washington’s bond to pay off certain debts of George Mercer. Washington was not able to survey the property to close the purchase before the Revolutionary War broke out and Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army a few months later. As a consequence, Washington did not close on the purchase and receive title to the property until 1787.

This transaction had multiple connections to the Revolutionary War. George Mason, author of the Fairfax Resolves and organizer of the Fairfax Militia, was a cousin of the Mercers and wrote Washington to inform him that they were interested in selling the property. James Mercer would go on to serve in the Continental Congress. His brother George, however, had agreed to be the Stamp Act collector for Virginia in 1765 and was ostracized as a Loyalist for that decision. George Mercer had fled to England a few years earlier and would die there without ever returning to Virginia.

Source: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-10-02-0143

On Saturday, December 14, 1774, I will be leading a walking tour of Washington’s property in what is now Arlington County, Virginia to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of his purchase of the land.

https://arlhist.org/event/george-washingtons-forest-guided-history-walk-250th-commemoration/