Echoes & Insights: The Laurens County Series
August 27, 2025
Inaugural Column — August 2025
The Laurens County Buzz is proud to introduce a new monthly feature — Echoes & Insights: The Laurens County Series. Beginning this month, readers will be invited to journey through the history of Laurens County, uncovering the stories, places, and people that have shaped our community.
From pivotal moments and forgotten landmarks to remarkable individuals whose legacies continue to inspire, each article will blend reflection from the past with perspective for the future. This series is designed to preserve history while sparking conversation about how it continues to guide us today.
We’d like to thank our Founding Sponsors for making this series possible. Their support ensures that the stories of our county are remembered, celebrated, and passed on to future generations.
Ann Pamela Cunningham: The Woman from Laurens Who Saved Mount Vernon
In a century when women’s voices were often confined to parlors and private letters, Ann Pamela Cunningham of Laurens County dared to raise hers on behalf of a nation—and changed the course of American preservation history.
Born in 1816 at Rosemont Plantation near Waterloo, Cunningham was the granddaughter of Patrick Cunningham, a Revolutionary War Loyalist who fought against General George Washington. Ironically, it would be Ann Pamela who later led the movement to save Washington’s beloved Mount Vernon estate.
Her moment of purpose came when her mother traveled north and returned distressed at seeing George Washington’s Mount Vernon in disrepair. Moved to act, Cunningham—just 37, without any formal public standing—penned her first letter to a Charleston newspaper under the pen name “A Southern Matron”, because at the time, women’s names only appeared in newspapers when they married or died.
Her first appeal called on Southern women to unite in saving Washington’s home. But her words reached beyond the South—women from across the country demanded to join the effort.
Founding the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
In 1856, Cunningham officially organized what is now known as the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (MVLA), though its original name—still preserved in its charter—was the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union. The very first meeting was held at Liberty Springs Presbyterian Church in Cross Hill, right here in Laurens County.
This groundbreaking organization became the first successful national preservation effort in U.S. history—entirely led by women, decades before they had the right to vote. From its earliest days, MVLA was intentionally designed to unify the country at a time when sectional tensions over slavery were rapidly escalating. Cunningham and her team hoped that by preserving a national treasure, they could help heal divisions between North and South.
Mount Vernon became neutral ground during the Civil War—visitors from both sides were welcome, but all weapons were left at the gate, honoring the sanctity of Washington’s home.
The Purchase and Preservation of Mount Vernon
The estate’s owner, John Augustine Washington III, George Washington’s great-grandnephew, had no interest in selling Mount Vernon—especially not to women. He set what he believed was an “exorbitant” price of $200,000 in 1852—the equivalent of $8.23 million today—confident the women would fail. Washington openly declared that he believed the estate would be mismanaged and eventually handed over to the State of Virginia, his preferred outcome.
But Ann Pamela Cunningham’s persistence won the day. Through relentless fundraising, impassioned appeals, and a bit of Southern charm, she convinced Washington to sell. By 1858, the MVLA had raised the full purchase price, securing ownership and operation of Mount Vernon. To this day, Mount Vernon is not owned by the U.S. government—it is still owned, preserved, and managed by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, structured exactly as Cunningham designed it, with one Lady Regent from each state and no men allowed.
Honoring Ann Pamela’s Legacy
Today, millions of visitors walk the grounds of Mount Vernon each year, often unaware that its preservation began with a determined woman from Laurens County, South Carolina. Her portrait still hangs at Mount Vernon, honoring her vision and leadership.
For those wanting to explore more of her story locally, the Laurens County Museum houses the exhibit “Rosemont to Mount Vernon”, which chronicles how a Loyalist’s granddaughter became the savior of the ultimate Patriot’s home. Nearby, Rosemont Plantation is being preserved by the Rosemont Preservation Society and is featured on the Laurens County Revolutionary War Driving Tour.
Ann Pamela Cunningham’s story is a testament to courage, conviction, and civic action—proof that one person’s passion can preserve history for generations.
We salute Ann Pamela Cunningham for blazing the trail that shaped American preservation—and here’s to the women who continue to make a difference in Laurens County today.
