Washington Winter Show 2014

60 flank the Mansion. The formal geometry of the Mansion circle and the straight lines of outbuildings and garden pathways contrast strongly with the serpentine walks that border the central bowling green. The Vaughan Plan has provided vital documentation about the estate’s appearance in Washington’s day, guiding the restoration of landscape elements that have disappeared over time. The Vaughan Plan (oppo- site) captures George Washington’s “grand design” for the core area of his estate. Preserved among his pa- pers after his death, it descended with the Peter family, who cared for it through several generations be- fore placing it on loan to the estate in 1945. The Association purchased the Vaughan Plan in 1975. With the recent opening of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, the Association is committed more than ever to acquiring original books, manuscripts, and papers associated with George and Martha Washington—such as the Vaughan Plan—and making these materials accessible to scholars, historians, and writers. Although Mount Vernon is a private institution—the Association does not accept federal or state funding—the historic estate has a highly public mission, which is to share George Washington’s life, character, leadership, and legacy as broadly as possible in order to inspire future generations. The fact that the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, established by the dedicated and farsighted “Southern Matron,” has been able to fulfill its mission with such energy and success is due in no small part to core traditions of the American South. Presentation drawing of Mount Vernon by Samuel Vaughan, 1787, watercolor and ink on paper. (Photo by Hal Conroy)