Excavation of the mill site in 1932 revealed a layer of “soft aqueous sand” under the wall separating the water pit, where the waterwheel stood, from the cog pit in which the gears needed for transmission of power were located. It was also discovered that there were “bad subsoil conditions generally under the southeast corner of the building,” where the raceway exited (BURSON description begins R. E. Burson. “A Report of the Findings of Mr. R. E. Burson on the George Washington Grist Mill, Situated on Dogue Run Creek, Mount Vernon, Va.” Mimeographed Report. Richmond, 1932. description ends , 10). The wall that fell today was probably one of the two walls meeting at this corner or the wall between the water and cog pits.