Historic Preservation
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This Band of Devoted Women: Preservation Stories of Mount Vernon and Liberty Hall
By Becky Shipp
Mount Vernon, 1850s and Liberty Hall, 1934
Ann Pamela Cunningham of South Carolina established the Mount Vernon Ladies Association (MVLA) in 1853. Her work and legacy of rescuing and restoring Mount Vernon, the former home of George Washington in Virginia, is recognized as the beginning of the historic preservation movement in the United States and the inspiration for many women to become involved in this work in their own communities.