Gunston Hall
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Gunston Hall
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View of Gunston Hall from the northwest
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| Nearest city | Lorton, Virginia |
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| Coordinates | 38°39′50″N 77°9′37″W / 38.66389°N 77.16028°WCoordinates: 38°39′50″N 77°9′37″W / 38.66389°N 77.16028°W |
| Area | 555.7 acres (224.9 ha) |
| Built | 1759 |
| Architect | George Mason; William Buckland |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000832 |
| VLR # | 029-0050 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
| Designated VLR | September 9, 1969, June 27, 2007 |
Gunston Hall is an 18th-century Georgian mansion near the Potomac River in Mason Neck, Virginia, USA. The house was the home of the United States Founding Father George Mason. It was located at the center of a 5,500 acre (22 km²) plantation.The home is also located not far from George Washington's home. The construction period of Gunston Hall was between 1755 and 1759.
The interior of the house and its design was mostly the work of William Buckland, a carpenter/joiner and indentured servant from England. Buckland later went on to design several notable buildings in Virginia and Maryland. Both he and William Bernard Sears, another indentured servant, are believed to have created the ornate woodwork and interior carving. Gunston's interior design combines elements of rococo, chinoiserie, and Gothic styles, an unusual contrast to the tendency for simple decoration in Virginia at this time. Although chinoiserie was popular in Britain, Gunston Hall is the only house known to have had this decoration in colonial America. In 1792, Thomas Jefferson attended George Mason at his death bed at Gunston Hall. After Mason's death later that year, the house continued to be used as a residence for many years. In 1868, it was purchased by noted abolitionist and civil war Colonel Edward Daniels. It is now a museum owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia and open to the public. The home and grounds were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 for their association with Mason.
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