The Mount Vernon mansion stands near the brow of a sloping hill which rises one hundred and twenty-four feet above the river, and can be seen from a great distance. A spacious lawn extending to the river, and majestic trees, give it a setting of rare beauty. At this point the Potomac is two miles in width, and its course is westerly until it borders the estate ; then it makes a sudden, sweeping bend to the southward, displaying a long stretch of glittering waters. The mansion overlooks the river as it flows south, and the thickly wooded Maryland hills on the opposite bank. One of Mount Vernon 's oldest trees is this stately white ash.