Mount Vernon Gets $38 Million Gift to Build a Research Library

Feb. 23, 2010, The Washington Post — Mount Vernon has a thorny problem: Not enough about George Washington is being taught in schools and many students know just bare facts about the first president.

In recent years, officials at Mount Vernon have mounted an aggressive campaign to counter this obstacle. On Friday, they received an enormous boost when it was announced that Washington's historic estate received a record-breaking gift of $38 million to construct a research library on its grounds.