author
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union
A pioneering women’s organization, it stepped in during the 1850s to save George Washington’s Mount Vernon when the estate was falling into disrepair. Its work helped set the model for historic preservation in the United States.
1 Audiobook
An Illustrated Handbook of Mount Vernon, the Home of Washington
by Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union
About the author
Founded in 1853 by Ann Pamela Cunningham, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union was created to preserve Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home on the Potomac. At a time when women had little formal political power, the Association organized support across the country and raised the money needed to purchase the mansion and surrounding land.
The group is widely recognized as the first national historic preservation organization in the United States, and also as the country’s oldest patriotic women’s society. Its early success showed that private citizens could protect places of national importance, and its example influenced later preservation efforts far beyond Mount Vernon.
Today, the Association continues to own and care for the estate as a private non-profit organization, maintaining the house, grounds, and collections while welcoming visitors and supporting research into Washington’s life and legacy.