A startling discovery in America's first presidential residence

Experts discovered centuries-old cherries surprisingly well preserved in two glass bottles stored in George Washington's historic Virginia home.

The Washington Post reported on April 24 that archaeologists found these bottles during excavations as part of a project to restore the first US president's residence, called Mount Vernon .

Two glass bottles containing aged cherries were discovered at George Washington's mansion in Mount Vernon, Virginia. (Photo: Loop Images/Universal Images Group).

Bottles dating from the 1740s to 1750s were unearthed beneath a brick floor built in the 1770s.

To help preserve two roughly 250-year-old glass bottles, researchers transferred the contents - cherries, seeds, stems and "slime residue" - into smaller vessels for further analysis.

'Not only did we obtain intact, sealed bottles, but they also contained organic material that could provide valuable insight and perspective into eighteenth-century life at Mount Vernon ,' said the head excavation project - archaeologist Jason Boroughs told the Washington Post.

He added: 'These bottles have the potential to enrich the historical narrative and we are excited to analyze the materials inside so we can share this discovery with fellow researchers and the public'.

Scientists speculate that the cherries may have been harvested at Mount Vernon in the 1770s, possibly before the Revolutionary War, and stored for later use.

Experts believe that a significant portion of the yellow liquid could be groundwater that has seeped into the bottles as the corks decomposed over the years.

The archaeological team was extremely stunned the moment they accidentally found the large bottles and realized they contained organic matter and could realize that it contained intact cherries, which also had the scent of cherry blossoms.

These bottles were imported from England during the colonial period and the cherries were most likely picked by slaves on the estate, the Washington family's grand mansion overlooking the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.