Fairfax Attractions: George Mason's Gunston Hall

Gunston Hall, completed in 1759, was the plantation home of George Mason, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Mason wrote the Virginia Constitution and the Virginia Declaration of Rights on which the U.S. Bill of Rights was based. His home is an outstanding example of Georgian architecture, and is highly regarded for its elegant interiors. The elaborate interior carvings, designed by indentured servant William Buckland and carved by William Bernard Sears, provide an impressive backdrop for guided tours of the 18th century plantation household. The boxwood gardens, believed to have been planted during Mason’s residence, leads from the house to a hillside overlooking the Deer Park and River. Visitors may pass along the same garden paths Mason walked, "wrapped in meditation," as he considered how to create democratic governments for Virginia and the new nation.