Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-15

planner of this commission, ia his pref
ace to a recent authoritative work on
the family life of George Washington,
saws: "A very great deal remains for
the American people still to do in order
to realize the visions of washington for
the Capital City. Much also should
be done to put his birthplace in order
and to give proper sepulture to the
bones of his ancestors. These p1ouS
duties should be made an integral part
of the approaching Washington bicen-
tennial, provided for on a large scale
by Congress. Only so can George WASH
ington be made a vital force for the
generations to come"
The Mount Vernon property had 10
owners in six generations of the fam
lily. covering period of exactly two
centuries Of ownership following the
coming of John, the immigrant.
In 1876 a memorial was submitted to
Congress asking the Government to
purchase Mount Vernon. This was
signed by Vice President Dallas, the
Speaker of the House, many members
of both branches of Congress, the Sec
retaries of State. War, Navy and the
Treasury; the mayors of Washington
and Georgetown. 1t was urged at that
time that for nearly half century the
kin of Washington had guarded and
watched over his remains and had gra-
tuitously entertained all who visited the
tomb of the Father of His Country, ac-
cording to the research made by Mr..
Moore. Attention was called that the
property then comprised $50 acres of
poor land, with group of ancient and
dilapidated buildings and an old and
untenanted tomb, rapidly going to ruin,
and a new tomb.
The memorial protested that unless
the Government purchased it, the es-
tate might fall into the hands of "the
agent OF some Turk or other foreigner,
who would then have the power to ex-
act tribute or levy tax in the shape
of admission fees to all persons visit
ing those consecrated grounds"
Association Formed.
The preservation of Mount Vernon
is due to the tireleSS efforts of Miss Ann
Pamela Cunningham of South Caro-
lima, herself helpless invalid. Start
ing in 1853, she organized the Mount
Vernon Ladies Association, hiding her
identity under the pseudonym of 1.-THE
Southern Matron." In spite of many
rebuffs, she continued for seven years
her laborS to arouse the women of
America to own and preserve Mount
Vernon.
In 1853 she interested in her work
the great Massachusetts orator, Edward
Everett, and as result he contributed
to the Mount Vernon fund the proceeds
from his eulogy of Washington, amount
ing to $69,064, out of the $2O0,O 900
needed for the purchase. Miss Cum
bingham finally persuaded John Angus
tine Washington, the then owner. who
objected to the charter granted by the
State of Virginia, believing that the
ladies' association and the State had
conspired to put an indignity upon him,
that he must let the association buy
| the property, and must not feel that
his State or himself were degraded by
! this act.
She also had considerable trouble with
! the Virginia Legislature, but on March
10, 1858, the act was passed, and the
purchase was completed on February %,
1859. During the next two years Miss
| Cunningham perfected the organiZa-
ton Of the board of control, consisting
of the regents and vice regents repre-
senting all the States of the Union.
During the Civil War Mount Vernon
had caretaker. Both Union and Con-
| federate forces respected the tomb Of
Washington.
Mr.. Moore in his work calls attention
! that 1.-The regents of the Mount Vernon
Ladies' Association of the Union, incor-
porated under the laws of Virginia
/ IIOlQ LLlc lSSdl IlLAC W LAALo al
case of the dissolution of the associa-
| tion." he writes, 1.-The property goes to
the State of Virginia. Congress has nc
authority in the premises, and can have
none, excepting with the consent OF
| Virginia. Therefore, the movements
(that start when some organization OBJ
jects to paying the Is cents admission
fee, or when some one has the theory
that the grounds should be open on
Sunday to have the Government pur-
chase Mount Vernon and reduce It tc
the level of the Arlington House and
Wakefield (botl owned by the Govern
rnent) must prove abortive."
Miss Cunningham was regent from
1853 to 1873, when she resigned. The
present regent, the fifth, is Mrs. Alice
H. Richards of Maine.
Miss Cunningham died May /, 1875
and was buried at Columbia, S. G
Since her retirement there have beer
two Observation-Disclosures. j. M Holl.
ingsworth, who served from 1879 Il
1885, and since 1885 Harrison H
Dodge. the present superintendent.