Thomson Mason owned land adjoining Harrison’s, which lay near GW’s mill on Dogue Run.

mr. season: John Searson (b. 1750), of Ireland, New York City, and Philadelphia, sometime merchant, teacher, and poet, wrote GW on 18 April 1799 of his intention “of waiting on your Excellency, so as to Obtain an Adequate Idea of mount Vernon” (DLC:GW). Searson, “wishing to compose a poem on that beautiful seat,” planned the visit “to enable me to make an exact poetical description of it” (SEARSON description begins John Searson. Mount Vernon, a Poem: Being the seat of his excellency George Washington, in the State of Virginia; Lieutenant-general and commander in chief of the land forces of the United States of America. Philadelphia, [1800?]. description ends , iv, v). The book of poems he published later in 1799 included several inspired by this visit. In the title poem, “Mount Vernon, a Poem,” a 372–line paean to nature, Searson described some aspects of his visit: he was “invited to dine,” after which he visited the gardens, the greenhouse, and the fish landings, and took a view from the cupola (SEARSON description begins John Searson. Mount Vernon, a Poem: Being the seat of his excellency George Washington, in the State of Virginia; Lieutenant-general and commander in chief of the land forces of the United States of America. Philadelphia, [1800?]. description ends , 10, 22).