George Washington, America’s first and arguably best president, never wanted to be president at all—can you believe that? But the people of the newly independent America urged and pushed for the esteemed general to take the coveted position as the first leader of our free nation. He modestly accepted the role and laid an amazing foundation for this great country—The United States of America.

Believe it or not, George never lived in the White House!  When he was not on the battlefield or in one of the three presidential mansions, George Washington was found retreating in his cherished Mount Vernon estate.This Virginia estate has since become a National Historic Landmark.

For this installment of Home of the Brave Week, we wanted to feature Ford Mansion—Washington’s famous headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey which is just minutes from Coldwell Banker’s home office!

The home, which is now owned by the National Park Service, was Washington’s headquarters for a year during the Revolutionary War–talk about history! It has been said that a transportation malfunction led the general to Morristown, but he soon fell in love with the area. It had an ideal location as it was close to both Philadelphia, America’s  former capital, and Manhattan, where the British were stationed.

This was George Washington’s office. In this room he sketched out many plans and held many meetings, all of which were crucial in helping the Americans to gain their independence!

Photos by Shinya Suzuki, National Park Service.