River View, a property once on George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, sold for $48 million in October — marking it as Virginia’s most expensive mansion. The property’s new owner doesn’t just possess this piece of Virginia history, but something else that might matter to the region’s football fans: the Washington Commanders.
A campaign finance report from the State Board of Elections shows that Dan Snyder, who contributed $25,000 to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s inaugural committee, possesses the Alexandria property — the address listed in the donation is the same as the home.
But River View’s significance doesn’t just come with its new owner. The property sits on River Farm, one of five farms that make up Mount Vernon. According to Matt Briney, the vice president of media and communications at Mount Vernon, aside from the Mansion House Farm owned by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the estate’s farms are under the care of individual owners. Many are part of the Neighborhood Friends program, a membership service which marks the historical relationship between the properties and Mount Vernon.
Briney explained that River Farm was significant to Washington in two different ways. Not only did Washington give the lease to his personal secretary as a wedding gift, but in 1760, it was the most profitable of his farms, “mainly due to the fishery operations along the Potomac.” Washington’s acquisition of the farm also doubled the size of Mount Vernon, and Briney notes it’s important to recognize the enslaved people who worked or resided on the property.
According to Virginia Business, real estate websites believe the house to be the most expensive in Virginia and the DC region. The property was initially listed at $60 million by Sotheby’s International Realty.
Seven bedrooms and full baths — and six baths — sit in 16.5 acres of property. The home is built with numerous amenities; windows in the mansion’s home gym overlook the Potomac, and the spa area is complete with a steam room and sauna. If you’re looking to kick back and watch the latest Netflix film, the home’s 15 seat movie theater is the most comfortable place to be. The estate also holds a guest house, carriage house, gardens and tree groves, and a waterfront dock.
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