A RARE and wonderful September 1858 Appeal for Money from 'The Ladies' Association of The Union. This is te only one I have seen that is not in the Mt Vernon Ladies' Association for The Union collection, the Lobrary of Congress, or in a university museum. It is in excellent condition with just a small tear on the lower bottom left of the flyer and is easy to read. 
In 1853, this question was written by Mrs Louisa Cunningham to her daughter, Ann P Cunningham:
“If the men of America have seen fit to allow the home of its most respected hero to go to ruin, why can't the women of America band together to save it?” 
At this time Mt Vernon the home of our first president, George Washington, was deteriorating and in a terrible state of disrepair. In 1840 John Augustine Washington III, great-great nephew of George Washington, inherited Mt Vernon. He tried to resurrect the farm but was unable to make it profitable so he tried to sell it to both the federal and state government (VA) to no avail. A developer then appeared and wanted to buy the property to use as a (in the words of this flyer) "with the intention of making it a place of public and low resort". In 1858, Ann Cunningham and her brainchild 'The Mt Vernon Ladies' Association of The Union' offered $200,000 for Mt Vernon and they were successful. By late 1858, this appeal from the Cambridge, MA chapter is typical of what was sent out by the association to collect monies for the purchase of the property. 
If you are a collector of George Washington or Mt Vernon memorabilia, this would be a wonderful addition to your collection. 
Offered with FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING. International buyers please use the shipping feature in your shopping cart and pay through PayPal if you would like next day shipping.