Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington

The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon is the presidential library of George Washington, the first president of the United States.[1] Located at Washington's home in Mount Vernon, Virginia, the library was built by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and is privately funded.[1] It is named for the chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation which donated $38 million to the project.[1] The library officially opened September 27, 2013.[1]

The new library is 45,000 square feet (4,200 m2) in a three-story building located on a 15-acre (6.1 ha) plot of land across the street from Mount Vernon's main entrance.[2] The general library contains thousands of books, newspapers, pamphlets, microforms, electronic resources, maps, photographs, and periodicals belonging to Washington.[3] These materials cover a variety of topics including George Washington, Martha Washington, Mount Vernon, the American Revolution, Colonial America, slavery, the Early Republic, and historical preservation.[3] The library's special collections include rare books, documents, letters, farm books, and maps that pertain to Washington, his presidency, and family life.[3] This collection also contains 103 books that once were part of Washington's collection in his home at Mount Vernon.[2] The books are only a small portion of Washington's 900-title and 1,200-volume collection.[2] The rest of this large collection was given to family members or sold in 1848 to bookseller Henry Stevens.[2]

In 1986, the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association broadened its vision beyond the preservation of Mount Vernon, and sought to extend the education of Washington’s life, achievements, and character - to the entire world.

In 2010, that mission expanded to include the construction of a new research library. The MVLA announced the creation of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington to further the organization’s mission of advancing appreciation and understanding of George Washington. The announcement resulted from a remarkable gift of $38 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the largest received in the history of the MVLA. The Campaign for the Library – with Gay Hart Gaines, the Vice Regent for Florida, as chair – set an ambitious goal to raise $100 million to construct the library. The Campaign exceeded its goal by raising $106.4 million by June 2013, all provided by private donors. Groundbreaking took place in April 2011, and the Library opened its doors on September 27, 2013.

The Washington Library, a 45,000 square-foot facility, holds Washington’s books and manuscripts, and many additional 18th-century books, as well as thousands of important 19th-century newspapers, manuscripts, and documents. It also serves as a scholarly retreat, creates educational outreach programs, and provides seminars and training programs with a special focus on Washington’s leadership.