The precise construction date of the cupola tower on the Mount Vernon Mansion is unknown, but architectural clues and documentation indicate that it existed as early as 1778. Though plagued with leaks, the cupola was aesthetically pleasing and was a central point for the structural symmetry George Washington hoped to achieve with the Mansion. The cupola also served useful and practical purposes; aligned above the central staircase, the tower, with its windows open, created a draft through the Ma