| Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington | |
| Map Type: | USA Virginia Northern#USA Virginia#USA |
| Map Size: | 220 |
| Location: | Fairfax County, Virginia, USA |
| Inauguration Date: | Dedicated on September 27, 2013 |
| Namesake: | Fred W. Smith |
| Construction Start Date: | 2010 |
| Cost: | $106.4 million |
| Management: | Douglas Bradburn |
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 45000square feet in a three-story building located on a 15acres 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]
The new library also contains high-tech meeting rooms that will allow for lectures, conferences, and other meetings.[2] The new Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington also has a large oval vault. This vault contains a 6adj=onNaNadj=on pewter bas relief representation of Washington's bookplate that depicts the Washington family crest.[2] The library is available to researchers and interested scholars of all ages by appointment only; library materials must be used within the building and cannot be checked out.[3]