The exhibit will tell the tale of the work done to save the home in 1890 once it became a rental property, and the history of the house to the present. A man from the Chicago Columbia World’s Exposition attempted to purchase the Mary Washington House in 1890, as he wished to disassemble it and ship it to Chicago to be reassembled at the exposition. Annie Flemming, a Fredericksburg preservation act
ivist, put forth a massive effort to contact Belle Bryan of the newly formed APVA to help save the house. With the price of the Mary Washington House set at $4,000, the APVA was able to raise enough money before the Chicago Columbia Exposition could purchase the house. On June 2, 1890, the deed of the house was signed over to the APVA. With this new purchase, the new branch was established and named the Mary Washington Branch of the APVA. The women of the APVA, driven by a sense of service to the community and our nation, preserved the site of the Mary Washington House through restoration and outreach with the support for the public for the future generations. In doing so, they reflected the changing values of patriotism, family and womanhood. This exhibit features the history, efforts, and values the Fredericksburg Branch portrayed through the Mary Washington House. Visitors will be able to experience the struggles these women faced during a time where the women’s suffrage movement was prevalent. The exhibit will feature copies of documents for special events like the Colonial Ball, which led to major restoration and the ability to maintain the house for the future. Visitors will also see images taken during World War II, the loss of donated furniture, and the restoration of the Mary Washington garden by the Garden Club of Virginia. The exhibit will also include the Mary Washington House’s recent move to the Washington Heritage Museums.
