Mount Vernon's Roof
Colonists used to come to see the owner and, of course, look at his roof. You can see it in Lorraine Strieby's book, Why Is a Spy Called a Mole?
Commander-in-Chief George Washington liked the red tiled roofs in Europe and
tiles just didn't exist in the colonies, so he elected to have old-growth cypress trees cut in fan shapes and then have them painted red. Cypress trees are the most
water resistant wood.
Since red-tiled roofs didn't exist in America, after the Revolution the citizens not only came to give their regards to President Washington and to see Mr. Billy Lee ride his horse, Chinkling, but to see the mansion with the red roof. It was the only red roof in the colonies.
If you haven't read about Mr. Billy Lee, he was the black Aide (not slave) that
rode with Washington in front of the troops in the Revolution and was the best horseman in the Colonies, along with Washington. (It's fun to see how many famous paintings Mr. Billy Lee was painted with George Washington and historians didn't write about him.)
Two men did and they each received the Pulitzer Prize.
Strieby will write about this soon because authors just didn't give black people their rightful place in history. For example in NASA there were black women engineers who were so good in math that they helped map the way to get the astronauts to the moon and in Apollo 13 helped the pilot of the disabled capsule to arrive safely to Earth. The computers of the day used their work and I believe still do.
Finally in Hidden Figures author, Margot Lee Shetterly, wrote this book and it became
a movie.
Well, remember I'm Mayor Molly McMole and help sometimes to blog with Lorraine Strieby.
Her writing skill is a little like Dr. Seuss and her books teach, and are illustrated by her.
You and your young ones will learn geography, history and art with a bit of whimsey, (lots of illustrations} fantasy based on fact. She does have a teaching degree you know.
And she knows I have her password and blogs for her sometimes. Not so easy with my chubby paws and long claws.
Time for me to depart down my mole hole. Sophia the Cat and I are going to have tea. Mayor Molly McMole, MMM
#roof
#roofs
#mountvernon
#georgewashington
#mrbillylee
#reovolution
#famousblackamericans
#hiddenfigures
#drseuss
#learningmadeeasy
