Ancient Roots: Prehistoric and Indigenous Inhabitants
A 1987 archaeological dig at River Farm turned up significant evidence of prehistoric habitation. Some of the finds included a Halifax-style white quartz arrowhead at least 4,500 years old; a stone tool classified as a knife or Savannah River-style point from around 3,000 B.C. and stone flakes left behind from making stone tools. Perhaps the most promising finds occurred on the bluffs, where Indigenous people had likely encamped to take advantage of the seasonal shad runs that amazed Capt. John Smith. Smith, who arrived with other Jamestown settlers, explored the Chesapeake Bay and lower Potomac for its abundance of fish. When Captain Smith came to the area, he mapped two major Native American villages along the Potomac, preserving valuable evidence of significant Virginia Indian activity at that time.
The Brent Family: Early English Ownership
Originally known as Piscataway Neck, River Farm’s first English owners were the Brent Family, who were of both Indian and English descent, and actively participated in the early colonial life of Maryland.
Captain Giles Brent, Jr. never was at ease among the local Dogue tribe, or seemingly with anyone else. His interactions with the indigenous tribe are said to have foreshadowed Bacon’s Rebellion. Moreover, his domestic life was marked by discord, culminating in a legal separation from his wife in 1679, marking the first such instance in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Piscataway Neck passed to a cousin, George Brent, and through him to a brother-in-law, William Clifton, in 1739.
Upon inheriting title to the land, William Clifton renamed the estate Clifton’s Neck. By 1757, Clifton had erected a brick house on the property, which now stands as the present-day 18th-century-style manor house serving as the headquarters of the American Horticultural Society.
George Washington’s Acquisition of River Farm
Clifton experienced financial difficulties and as early as 1755 began advertising parts of his land for sale. George Washington, the gentleman farmer from nearby Mount Vernon, expressed interest in purchasing this land. However, due to what Washington described in his diaries as Clifton’s “shuffling behavior”, it was not until 1760 that Washington finally secured clear title to the 1,800 acres for £1,210, the equivalent of a bankruptcy sale. In fairness to Clifton, not all of the “shuffling” was solely his responsibility. At Mrs. Clifton’s insistence, only a portion of the property was initially offered for sale, with the house and surrounding land reserved for the Cliftons’ use. Washington refused to purchase this reduced package. It was not until Clifton was compelled to submit to a commissioner’s sale–of which Washington was a member–that Washington acquired the entire property and renamed it River Farm.
As a result, River Farm became the most northerly of Washington’s five farms, with today’s River Farm situated on the northernmost section of that property. Despite Washington’s patient pursuit of the land, he never actually lived on or cultivated it. Instead, he chose to rent it, initially to tenant farmer Samuel Johnson in 1761, who paid increasing amounts of his tobacco crop to Washington for the privilege. Although the farm was once offered for sale in 1773, Washington retained ownership and later gifted the lease as a wedding present to Tobias Lear. Lear’s bride, Fanny Bassett, was Martha Washington’s niece and the widow of George Washington’s nephew, George Augustine Washington.
The Lear Family’s Stewardship
On the recommendation of a mutual friend, Tobias Lear arrived in Virginia in 1786 to assume the role of secretary to Washington and tutor to Martha’s two grandchildren. He was treated as a member of the family, sharing meals with them. Throughout Washington’s tenure as President, Lear not only served as his secretary but also became a trusted confidant, accompanying him at Mount Vernon, as well as in Philadelphia and New York. Lear remained by Washington’s side until his passing. In his will, Washington granted Lear lifelong, rent-free use of the farm. Lear referred to the property as Walnut Tree Farm. Tobias Lear’s wife, Fanny, passed before him, prompting him to accommodate his mother-in-law and children at the farm while he chose to reside in Georgetown. Allegedly, Lear died there by suicide in 1816. Following Tobias Lear’s passing, the farm was occupied by two successive generations of the Washington family: George Fayette Washington, a nephew, and Charles Augustine Washington, a great-nephew. In 1859, marking a century since Washington’s acquisition of the property from Clifton, Charles Augustine Washington sold 652 acres of River Farm to three Quaker brothers from New Jersey: Stacey, Issac, and William Snowden.
Today, in the meadow below the “ha-ha” wall, one majestic old black walnut tree remains, a reminder of the 18th-century landscape familiar to Lear and Washington. Another significant tree at River Farm with ties to Washington is the Kentucky coffee tree, named for its native habitat and historical issue as a coffee substitute. Washington introduced this species to Virginia after procuring seeds during one of his surveying expeditions in the Ohio River Valley. He successfully nurtured the seeds he collected there, cultivating its growth in Virginia. River Farm boasts several specimens of the Kentucky coffee tree, descendants of those initially cultivated by Washington.
The Snowden Brothers: Quakers and Abolitionists at River Farm
The Snowdens and other Quaker families arrived in the Woodlawn-Mount Vernon area around 1845, attracted by the abundant hardwood timber bound for New England shipyards, affordable land, and the prevailing abolitionist sentiment. Opening an early chapter in the South’s struggle for racial justice, the Quakers wanted to use River Farm to demonstrate that farming could be profitable without reliance on enslaved labor. The Snowdens divided the land, then known as Wellington, into three sections.
Isaac, William, and Stacey Snowden resided on a farm in New Jersey alongside their mother, Rhoda Hazelton Snowden, brother John, and two sisters, Abigail and Mary Jane. As devout Quakers, the Snowdens likely learned about opportunities in the Mount Vernon region through the Mullica Hill Friends Meeting, of which they were members. In the late 1840s, Quaker families from New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia migrated to Virginia, seeking to purchase affordable farmlands and timberlands and to collaborate with the free black community surrounding Mount Vernon. Their goal was to demonstrate that financial success could be achieved without reliance on slavery. In 1859, two years before the Civil War began, the brothers left home. Although it remains unclear whether Isaac, William, and Stacey had prior connections with other settlers in the Mount Vernon area, they undoubtedly collaborated closely once they became neighbors.
Leaving behind their Quaker community in Harrison Township, the Snowdens embarked on a journey that would leave an enduring mark on their new surroundings. They purchased large tracts of land that had previously been part of George Washington’s River Farm and helped shape a community that would, for a period, carry their name (Snowden, VA). Their homes became focal points for the development of roads, schools, churches, postal delivery, social and business organizations, recreation, and rail and steamboat travel between Washington, DC and Mount Vernon.
The Snowden School began at Wellington on River Farm, now the headquarters of the American Horticultural Society. During the early 1870s, the property was owned by Valentine Baker, a Quaker from New York. From 1872 to 1878, the school operated out of the Baker home, serving children from neighboring farms.
Changing Hands: The Syndicate, Thompson, and Matheson Eras
In 1866, 280 acres, including present-day River Farm, were sold to three men known as “The Syndicate”. Described as “this broken and poignant house” by a writer from The Washington Sunday Star during a visit in 1904, the property underwent significant changes and improvements. In 1912, Theresa Thompson, a member of a prominent local family renowned for operating Thompson’s Dairy until the 1960s, acquired the Wellington estate. While Thompson implemented some alterations and enhancements, it was Malcolm Matheson, the subsequent owner in 1919, who truly transformed the property into the charming early 20th-century country estate it is today. Matheson’s renovations included the installation of evocative 18th-century-style paneling in the ground floor rooms, a welcoming foyer, and a light-filled ballroom. Outdoors, he cleared acres of honeysuckle, briar, and blackberry bushes to make way for the planting of boxwoods, magnolias, wisteria, and other ornamental flora, thereby crafting a tranquil, park-like setting for his family.
The Soviet Bid and Enid Annenberg Haupt’s Intervention
Wellington faced one more upheaval. In 1971, Matheson decided to sell his home, prompting the Soviet Embassy to offer to buy the property for use as a retreat or dacha for its staff. Amid the lingering tensions of the Cold War, widespread opposition arose locally and nationwide against the notion of George Washington’s former farm becoming the possession of the Soviet Union. Consequently, Congress and the Department of State urged Matheson to withdraw the property from the market.
Among those concerned by the potential sale was Enid Annenberg Haupt, a New York-based philanthropist and gardener. Through her exceeding generosity, the American Horticultural Society was able to purchase the 27-acre Wellington estate. In honor of George Washington, one of our nation’s first great gardeners and horticulturists, the property was again named River Farm. In 1973, AHS relocated its headquarters from Alexandria to River Farm. On May 1, 1974, First Lady Pat Nixon joined Haupt at the dedication of the property and together they planted a ceremonial dogwood tree in the garden.
American Horticultural Society: Preserving River Farm’s Legacy, Cultivating the Future
Since 1973, thousands of dedicated volunteers and generous benefactors have invested their time and resources in transforming River Farm, heralded as “the home for American horticultural excellence.” Each year, visitors from all over visit River Farm, marveling at its unique flora, manicured grounds, awe-inspiring views of the Potomac River, and contemplating its remarkable history.
The American Horticultural Society commemorated its 100th anniversary in 2022, marking 50 years stewarding River Farm. AHS reaffirmed its dedication to preserving River Farm as “America’s Home for Horticultural Excellence” through numerous revitalization programs. Among the foremost priorities are the reimagining and enhancement of the gardens and grounds, with the aim of creating a landscape that befits the idyllic and historic setting along the Potomac River.
For further information about River Farm, we encourage you to explore the resources available through the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon Estate.