The first president was 6 years old in 1738 when his family moved to this farm across the river from Fredericksburg. It was here that George purportedly confessed to chopping down the cherry tree. He and his siblings took a ferry across the river to school in Fredericksburg. After their father, Augustine Washington, died in 1743, their mother Mary Ball Washington stayed on the farm until 1772, when George bought her the house in town, where she lived out her life near her daughter, Betty Lewis. Union soldiers camped on the farm during the Civil War. The Washingtons' 1741 house is long gone, but archaeologists continue to discover and interpret new finds, including confirmation of its foundation and cellars. Artifacts are on display in the visitor center, where interpreters will answer questions. The George Washington Foundation, which also owns Kenmore Plantations & Gardens, has many special programs here.