The “Buyers” of Mount Vernon Choose Gifts You’ll Want to Buy
The Shops at Mount Vernon has Gifts for Babies, Centenarians and Everyone in between, Celebrating America's 250 Years
By Susan McLain Sullivan
Here We Are Again! Like the refrain from the famous holiday carol, we have truly landed in early December. Tis not the season for the faint-hearted.
With Hanukkah’s bright lights appear at sunset on December 14, Christmas Eve approaching at 12:01 a.m. on December 24, and less than a month before Kawanzaa on December 26, gift fatigue can seem pretty real right now.
Even if you are reading this online in Timbuktu—relax. There is still time and a multitude of options to buy gifts for all variety of festive and holiday occasions, according to Susan M. Hoffman, Director of Retail & Licensing at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. She and two assistants research and order specialized inventory made exclusively for the Shops at Mount Vernon. Merrill Margueron and Paige Podskalny are two buyers who share a cozy attic office space above the shops and make acquisition decisions based on a range of factors. Ordering a panorama of gifts, Hoffman, Margueron, and Podskalny are the “buyers” before you buy (think of them as George’s personal shoppers) who have a major task throughout the year but especially this year as they shop for the upcoming 250th Anniversary celebrations and guests coming next year.
“We like to find little nuggets of history which we can then use to inspire that product so that when you take you product home, you can remember when you were here and what you can take away from the experience,” explained Hoffman who with her crew searches out quality vendors. Before coming to Mount Vernon, she worked for 20 years with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which also presents online catalogs, social media, and brick-and-mortar shops. Hoffman added that, “every year is a challenge to stay new, relevant and connected to our mission, and surprisingly every year we manage to do it.”
“The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and the Regent and Vice Regents are very supportive of us,” she added. “They took the (online catalog) link and spread it to all their family and friends.”
Aside from seasonal selections of lighted lanterns, ornaments, gift items, the Shops at Mount Vernon were selected by the buyers on staff who orchestrated behind-the-scenes coordination with other historic sites this year. Interestingly, Hoffman is a member of a “first ever collaboration between Virginia’s iconic 18th-century historic museums, joining together to commemorate 250 years of American independence. This partnership honors Virginia’s pivotal role in the War of Independence and the founding of a new nation.” In addition to Mount Vernon, the consortium includes George Mason’s Gunston Hall, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, James Monroe’s Highland, James Madison’s Montpelier, Jamestown Settlement, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, and Jamestown Rediscovery/Historic Jamestown.
Enter the white double-doors under the vine-covered pergola or the online portal of The Shops at Mount Vernon to find a practical bounty of gifts for newborns to centenarians, with authentic finds from George Washington’s era to a tower of Jelly Cats from London, which reportedly draw screams of delight from elementary school-aged students visiting the estate. While there is a selection on gifts online, it pales a bit to the tangible pleasure of poking around the two spacious gift shops (on either side of the “shops” entrance) to find beautifully staged displays. There are presents from practical tee-shirts and sweatshirts with America’s 250th Anniversary logos saying “Our Guy Led It” to dozens of other items including Pendelton wool “Commander in Chief” blankets and smaller woven throws inspired by a hand-colored puzzle preserved in the collections of George Washington.
A bit fascinating to think about are the citrusy smell of the bottles of George Washington’s own “signature scent” cologne (Number Six by Caswell Massey) and familiar replicas of the estate’s Blue Canton china alongside locked display cases of glittering assorted jewelry, some featuring garnets favored by Martha Washington and other sterling silver pieces.
In the line of distinctive and tasty consumables, check out the west side of the shops to discover many food items and jeweled-colored waxed amaryllis in emerald or gold. Canisters of Mount Vernon brand tea leaves (Children’s Tea Party, Earl Grey Rooibos, Figgy Pudding Tea, Holiday Blend, Organic Hibiscus Flowers, and Rose Kissed Jasmine) and pretty teapots are consumables for casual or high teas at home. Another culinary group are the Mount Vernon signature hickory syrup aged in Mount Vernon’s Distillery, and the Rye Cask Aged Porter and historic beers (aged in Distillery Rye Whiskey Barrels—and playfully labeled “Rules of Civility” with numbers with quotations), alongside stone-ground products from Mount Vernon’s gristmill to George Washington’s Special Reserve Madeira, among others.
From 250th Anniversary bibs to authentic Mount Vernon-wood items to antique coin and paper money over the centuries, The Shops of Mount Vernon are like two peas-in-pod, adjacent gift shops offer a casual and trendier assortment specializing in the upcoming 250th Anniversary Collection to the more timeless gifts—from three patterns of George Washington original tartan items created by Mount Vernon and the bowls and pens fashioned from trees from the estate. Gracing the cover of the 2025 Holiday catalog—online and in print—is an eye-catching Mount Vernon 2025 ornament titled “The General’s Prayer” replicating a sketch of George Washington at prayer prior to a Revolutionary War Battle.
On the east side of the shops, there are trendier items (future vintage but currently inexpensive) such as the America’s 250th Anniversary wearables—from “Future President” baby bibs and other apparel for all ages–including long- or short-sleeved shirts and sweats—some with fun vintage-looking Beatles patterns and many of the shop’s classic souvenir fare for possible stocking stuffing.
“If you can’t find anything between here (east shop) and the other side (west shop), we can help you with that,” offered Margueron, who noted she is sometimes asked by schoolboys which item to buy for a girlfriend. “They ask, ‘If I wanted you to be my girlfriend, which one would you pick? It is so cute.”
Note: The Shops at Mount Vernon offers free parking on the estate grounds and sidewalks to the entrance to the Mount Vernon Estate, the Shops of Mount Vernon, and the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant where many of the consumables found in the shops can be sampled in the comfort and warmth of the cozy restaurant. The Shops at Mount Vernon – Digital Catalog – Holiday 2025 by The Shops… – Flipsnack
