National Harbor is a 300-acre (1.2 sq. km) multi-use waterfront development on the shores of the
Potomac River in
Prince George's County, Maryland just south of
Washington, D.C. near the
Woodrow Wilson Bridge; phase one opened on April 1, 2008. The central area of the harbor features the sculpture
The Awakening, which is a 70-foot (21 m) statue of a giant embedded in the earth, struggling to free himself; the statue is made of five separate aluminum pieces buried in the ground. The land developed for National Harbor was previously Salubria Plantation, built in 1827 by Dr. John H. Bayne. The plantation house burned down in 1981 and was offered for sale along with the surrounding land. The land was sold in 1984 and in 1994 was rezoned for mixed-use development.
Mount Vernon, located near
Alexandria, Virginia, was the tobacco
plantation home of the first
President of the United States,
George Washington. The mansion is built of wood in
neoclassical Georgian architectural style, and the estate is located on the banks of the
Potomac River. Originally known as known as
Little Hunting Creek Plantation (it was later named Mount Vernon after the famous Naval officer Vice Admiral
Edward Vernon), the mansion was originally owned by his grandfather
Lawrence Washington. In 1752, George Washington would eventually inherit this property from his half-brother
Lawrence; George began the first of two major additions and improvements to the home in 1757. The second expansion was begun shortly before the outbreak of the
War and on those occasions he entirely rebuilt the main house atop the original foundations, doubling its size each time. The great majority of the work was performed by
slaves and artisans. The 500 acre (2 sq. km) property was designated a
National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960.
(Wikipedia)