Identifier: picturesquewas00moor (find matches)
Title: Picturesque Washington: pen and pencil sketches of its scenery, history, traditions, public and social life, with graphic descriptions of the Capitol and Congress, the White House, and the government departments ..
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: Moore, Joseph West
Subjects: Washington (D.C.)
Publisher: Providence : J.A. & R.A. Reid
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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avinga fortune of her own, and as the Custis children inherited theirfathers large estate, Washington bequeathed Mount Vernon to hisnephew, Judge Bushrod Washington. He also made bequests to allhis relatives, and directed that his slaves should be liberated andprovided with the means of obtaining their livelihood. Some of thedescendants of these slaves still live in that portion of Virginia. After the death of Judge Washington in 1826, Mount Vernon de-scended to his nephew, John Augustine Washington. He died in1832, and his widow, Jane Washington, was the next heir. In 1855her son, John A. Washington, was the last of the family to hold pos-session of the estate. He had not the means to keep it in properorder, and in i860 disposed of it through the State of Virginia to theMount Vernon Association for the sum of $200,000. This associa-tion was incorporated for the sole purpose of acquiring Mount Ver-non, and by the terms ofits charter the estate can never pass from its MOUNT VERNON. 295
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possession. Virginia retains a super-vision over it, and appoints a board ofvisitors whose duty it is to examine theproperty annually and report if the char- ^^ ^ ^^ ter conditions have been faithfully observed. The project to purchase Mount Vernon, and preserve the home ofWashington from decay, originated with a Southern woman namedPamelia Cunningham. When its last proprietor announced his in-tention of selling the estate, this devoted woman quickly obtained therefusal of it for a certain time. She first appealed to Congress forthe purchase-money, but without success, and then, under the title of The Southern Matron, caused to be circulated a strong appeal tothe women of America for aid in the patriotic work. She secured acharter from the Virginia Legislature, organized an association, ofwhich she became the Regent, appointed vice-regents in the variousstates, and began to collect the funds. Contributions, large andsmall, were received from all parts of the United States. EdwardEvere

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