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The completed Mary Washington Monument and lodge are shown in this 1895 photo. The site has undergone repairs. |
BY CLINT SCHEMMER
Beginning tomorrow, the grounds of the Mary Washington Monument will sport a sleeker, more modern look--if such a thing can be said of a centuries-old historic site.
The tidier, safer site comes thanks to the Garden Club of Virginia, which will celebrate the improvements with a ceremony at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the obelisk on Washington Avenue in Fredericksburg.
The monument, dedicated by President Grover Cleveland in 1894, honors the 18th-century Fredericksburg resident who was the mother of the father of our country, President George Washington.
Upon her death in 1789, she was buried nearby beside Meditation Rock, where she meditated and prayed.
Recently, the Garden Club's Restoration Committee funded masonry work to repair the plaza, walk and brick steps at the monument. At neighbors' request, boxwood at the base of the granite pillar was replaced with liriope to ease maintenance and provide safer, more open surroundings.
The work--done in cooperation with the city of Fredericksburg--was financed with some of the proceeds from the club's Historic Garden Week in Virginia, which has helped restore dozens of public gardens across the commonwealth since 1929.
The Garden Club is hosting its first statewide symposium tomorrow through Wednesday in Fredericksburg. The city was chosen for the 75th-anniversary event because Kenmore, the home of George Washington's sister, Betty Lewis, was the site of the club's first restoration project.
Clint Schemmer: 540/368-5029
Email: cschemmer@freelancestar.com
