George Washington Presidential Library to Open in Fall 2013

The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association announced Friday the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington will open on Sept. 27, 2013.  

A $100 million campaign was created by George Washington’s Mount Vernon to establish the state-of-the-art facility, which will host Mount Vernon’s special collection of books, manuscripts and archival materials. These materials will be available to researchers to study the history of George Washington.

“No president in American history deserves the honor of an official library more than our first chief executive – nor is there a better story to tell,” Mount Vernon President and CEO Curt Viebranz said in a news release. “This Library will share Washington’s leadership lessons for generations to come.”

The Library will also serve as a scholarly retreat, a center for educational outreach programs, and a go-to source for seminars and training programs with a special focus on Washington’s leadership, according to the Mount Vernon Estate. Visiting scholars, authors and interns will have the option to stay in a 6,000-square-foot residence located next to the Library. Mount Vernon’s inaugural class of fellows has been selected and will be in residence this fall.

The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association does not accept federal funding. The funds used to construct and program the Library are raised via donors. The campaign to construct the Library was fueled by a $38 million contribution by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and other generous donors. The Library is named in honor of the foundation’s longtime chairman, Fred W. Smith. To donate to the Library campaign, please visit Donate.MountVernon.org.