Existing comment:
With a civil war looming, Ann Pamela Cunningham realized that in order to avoid regional discontent and to establish a broad fundraising base, the campaign to save Mount Vernon would have to be national in scope. Her idea was to establish a network of supporters, all working under the direction of a core group of Ladies, each of whom would represent a given state. A total of 13 women, with Cunningham as the Regent and the others serving as Vice Regents, made up the first Council.
John Augustine Washington III became the owner of Mount Vernon in 1850. Unable to afford the estate's maintenance, he offered it for sale in 1861. After the Commonwealth of Virginia and the federal government turned him down, Washington agreed to sell the Mansion and 200 acres of adjoining land to the Ladies' Association in 1858. |