The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon is the
presidential library
A presidential library, presidential center, or presidential museum is a facility either created in honor of a former president and containing their papers, or affiliated with a country's presidency.
In the United States
* The presidential libr ...
of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
, the first president of the United States.
Located at Washington's home in
Mount Vernon, Virginia, the library was built by the
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association (MVLA) is a non-profit organization that preserves and maintains the Mount Vernon estate originally owned by the family of President George Washington. The association was founded in 1853 by Ann Pamela Cunni ...
and is privately funded.
It is named for the chairman of the
Donald W. Reynolds
Donald Worthington Reynolds (September 23, 1906 – April 2, 1993) was an American businessman and philanthropist. During his lifetime, he was known for his involvement in the Donrey Media Group.
Biography
Reynolds was the son of Gaines W. Rey ...
Foundation which donated $38 million to the project.
The library officially opened September 27, 2013.
Description
The new library is in a three-story building located on a plot of land across the street from Mount Vernon's main entrance.
The general library contains thousands of books, newspapers, pamphlets, microforms, electronic resources, maps, photographs, and periodicals belonging to Washington.
These materials cover a variety of topics including George Washington, Martha Washington, Mount Vernon, the American Revolution, Colonial America, slavery, the Early Republic, and historical preservation.
The library's special collections include rare books, documents, letters, farm books, and maps that pertain to Washington, his presidency, and family life.
This collection also contains 103 books that once were part of Washington's collection in his home at Mount Vernon.
The books are only a small portion of Washington's 900-title and 1,200-volume collection.
The rest of this large collection was given to family members or sold in 1848 to bookseller
Henry Stevens.
The new library also contains high-tech meeting rooms that will allow for lectures, conferences, and other meetings.
The new Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington also has a large oval vault. This vault contains a pewter bas relief representation of Washington's bookplate that depicts the Washington family crest.
The library is available to researchers and interested scholars of all ages by appointment only; library materials must be used within the building and cannot be checked out.
See also
*
The Papers of George Washington
The Washington Papers, also known as The Papers of George Washington'','' is a project dedicated to the publication of comprehensive letterpress and digital editions of George and Martha Washington’s papers. Founded at the University of Virginia ...
*
Presidential memorials in the United States
References
External links
Official siteVirtual tour of the library
{{authority control
2013 establishments in Virginia
George Washington
Library buildings completed in 2013
Buildings and structures in Alexandria, Virginia
Libraries in Virginia
Washington, George
Mount Vernon