Perfectly preserved centuries-old cherries unearthed at George Washington house

Archaeologist Jason Boroughs discusses artefacts found underneath George Washington’s residence in Mount Vernon, Virginia (Nathan Ellgren/AP)

America’s first president George Washington never did cut down the cherry tree, despite the famous story to the contrary, but he did pack away quite a few bottles of the fruit at his Mount Vernon home.

Dozens of bottles of cherries and berries — preserved in storage pits uncovered from the cellar of his mansion on the banks of the Potomac River — were discovered during an archaeological dig connected to a restoration project.