Evening star., 1953-02-22
Special Ceremony
10 Mark Centennial
Al Mount Vernon
By George Kennedy

MOuI1I .tCA11Ou ID OUoCI VlklS q
centennial this year. It was in
1853 that Miss Ann Pamela Cum
ningham made the first appeal
for funds that saved George
Washington's home from ruin.
Rain or shine today washing
tons Birthday, patriotic groups
will be laying wreaths in the
Washington Tomb at Mount Ver-
non. Observance of the Tooth
anniversary of the first appeal
will come later. It was made
on December 3, 1853. The staff
at Mount Vernon is preparing
an exhibit commemorative of
Miss Cunningham and her work.
1t was the ringing of the bell
Of a steamer as it passed Mount
Vernon that started Miss Cum
ningham on her life work. The
custom Of tolling ships bells as
a mark of respect started imme-
diately after the death of the
founder Of the, country and was
known all over the Nation. A
song about it used to be sung in
the public schools.
On board this steamer was a
Mrs. Robert Cunningham Of
Laurens, S. c. She was return
ing from Philadelphia, where
she had left her invalid daugh-
ter Ann Pamela in the care Of
a noted physician. The daugh-
ter was a victim of spinal trouble
which eventually confined her to
her bed.
Women to the Rescue.
When the bell tolled. Mrs.
Cunningham, who was a native
Of Alexandra and had been a
guest at Mount Vernon, thought
how all efforts to save the place
seemed to have failed. Perhaps
the women Of the Nation could
save it. The next day. she in.
cluded that thought in a letter
10 ner QaugnCef.
Miss Cunningham, in her in
valid chair. resolved then and
there to see to it that they
would.
Congress had refused to pur-
chase Mount Vernon. It was
then the residence of John Au-
gustine Washington. a young
man who was the great-great-
grandnephew of the general.
For two generations, the WASH
ington family had been keeping
the place with great difficulty.
It probably never was much of
a money-maker. Most of the
generals income was from other
sources. When the greenhouse
burned in 1885, it was not re-
built. Other outbuildings had
gone and little was being done to
arrest the decay of the mansion.
But the family was determined
that Mount Vernon would not
be exploited. It would be sold
only to the United States or to
the State Of Virginia.
Virginia Rejects Offer.
Miss Cunningham signed her
appeal for funds only as "A
Southern Matron." Two days
later. the Governor of Virginia
asked the Legislature to purchase
Mount Vernon at the owners
price, 100000. It was turned
down. The first funds in Miss
Cunningham's drive were raised
in her home town. They totaled
| $293.75. The next session of the
Virginia Legislature authorized
purchase of the place, the funds
to be raised by the Mount Ver-
non Ladies Association That
! became a handicap. Prospective
donors UNDERSTANDABLE objected
that if Virginia was to buy the
place she should appropriate
the money.
| It was Charles L. Petigru. the
South Carolina Unionist memo
rialized by a statue in Charles
ton, who suggested adding the
words "of the Union" to the
name of the association. He
hoped the shrine and the ladies'
zeal might save the Nation from
the holocaust. Miss Cunning
ham talked to Edward Everett of
Massachusetts,, the most famous
orator Of the day. when he came
to Richmond to deliver his
speech on Washington. He was
so impressed with her ardor that
he dedicated future receipts of
his Washington address to the
cause. In all. he contributed
almost $4,000.
But q new obstacle was en-
countered. Mr.. Washington let
it be known that he would not
sell Mount Vernon to the asso-
citation. only to the State Of Vir-
ginia.
Stayed Overnight.
Miss Cunningham, who could
not travel any distance by train.
i took Q steamer from Charleston
to Baltimore and there boarded
q Washington steamer which
stopped at Mount Vernon. She
was carried up from the wharf