After half a century, Mount Vernon's long-time horticulturist calls it a career

MOUNT VERNON, Va. — Many Washingtonians already know and revere the beautiful ground at George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon. But do you know the man who keeps it that way? 

Dean Norton is the director of horticulture and livestock at the estate, but he’s also a guardian of history, an expert in all things “George Washington,” and it’s been his mission to preserve the landmark. For 55 years he’s done just that, preserving Mount Vernon as it once was in the 18th century, and allowing visitors to be submerged in history. 

In fact, everything you’ve seen on the grounds of Mt. Vernon, Norton has had a hand in.

“Really, Mount Vernon is my life,” Norton said.

He started working at the estate at the age of 16. 

“Those were the days," Norton said fondly. 

Back in 1969, he applied for the job after a friend of his began making money; it piqued his curiosity.

“I said what do you do there?" Norton recalls the conversation that changed the course of his professional life. "He said, 'I mow grass, pick up trash and chase sheep.' I said, 'that sounds great.' So, I applied, had a five minute interview, was hired immediately, and that’s what I did- picked up trash.”

Norton went on to get a degree in Horticulture from Clemson University, and when he returned to the estate, the top gardening job had just opened up. The rest, is history.

“There I was, I was in the position, it's divine providence for me," he said. "I’ve been blessed all along the way. In 1980 I became horticulturist- and here I am today."

Eventually, Norton's employment became far more than just a job. 

“I started thinking I was going to be doing plants and animals, but it became clear that it was all about history as well," he said. “Washington was a very detailed person and very observant. And the most observant people are really the best people because they take the time to look at something and understand it.”

Today, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who knows more about George Washington and the history of Mount Vernon than Norton; he's been taking care of George Washington's home longer than the general even lived there himself. 

“Our goal is to make this property as close as possible to the 18th century, so if Washington were ever to return for some reason or another, he would come back and go, 'things are looking pretty good,'" Norton said. 

Walking the grounds of Mount Vernon is like strolling through a time capsule, all of it dedicated to bringing the 18th century aesthetic to life.

“Walking the bowling green was the evening entertainment, and this would have been the highlight of someone’s stroll,” Norton said. "I’m just putting Washington’s thoughts and his creativity back in the ground for him. This is his design, his garden." 

Norton knows every nook, every cranny, every secret that the estate holds.

“There is a spring on the property,” he said, showing WUSA9 the very spring that George Washington himself used to drink from. “We’re on our way to Seven Rivers, which is an area that is documented as being a spot that George Washington would go to refresh his horse and probably get a drink himself.”

We wandered off the beaten path, on a dirt trail- into the foliage on the estate. It’s a hidden corner that not many people know about. Norton is sure-footed, and knows every step of the way. Once we approached the spring, we were able to drink directly from it. The water was crystal clear and tasted crisp.

“When you drink from the spring, you are part of the Mount Vernon family,” Norton said.

From hidden springs to cultivating hemp, Norton has seen it all.

“Planting the first crop of hemp was really exciting," he said. "Hemp is industrial, hemp is not cannabis. It’s there for interpretations sake." 

WUSA asked Norton if the presence of hemp surprises visitors. 

“Every winter he would prepare his fishing nets with the twine," Norton told us. 'He said plant [cannabis] everywhere on the property.”

As Norton dedicated his life to honor the history and legacy of Mount Vernon for 50+ years, he’s also built one of his own.

“The employees are my family," he said. "I met my wife here. I asked her to marry me in one of the historic gardeners tool houses." 

He’s been married to his wife, Suzanne, for 39 years, and the couple has raised four girls together. 

“My wife worked at Mount Vernon for 10 years, and it was really Suzanne and I working together that brought a lot of these gardens to life," he said. "My children, they think of this as their backyard, and nothing was more exciting than walking through a garden and hearing someone call out ‘hey dad!’”

But for Norton, it’s time for a change-- he’s retiring at the end of the year.

“I think it’s time for someone else to have the wonderful experience that I’ve had,” Norton said. 

When asked what he would miss the house, he answered simply. 

“Walking up the hill and just seeing the house," Norton replied. "You just think it’s not real, it’s so beautiful, it’s so perfect. And I have the opportunities to come in the mornings when no one is here. I will miss that the most.”