Visitors to Mount Vernon have ceremoniously laid wreaths at the graves of George and Martha Washington for many years. This collection of "tomb books," or registries of floral tributes, record the names and dates of the visitors and special guests who laid wreaths at the tomb. The books are originally kept by Mount Vernon employees who are assigned to watch over the tomb and facilitate the wreath-laying ceremonies. More volumes are expected to eventually be turned over to the MVLA Archives, but currently there are 14 volumes that record wreath-laying information from some years in the 1960s to the 1980s, then into the 2000s.
The collection is listed here in chronological order.
This collection is open for research during scheduled appointments. Researchers must complete the Washington Library's Special Collections and Archives Registration Form before access is provided. The library reserves the right to restrict access to certain items for preservation purposes.
[Name and date of item], Tomb Books, Floral Tribute Registries, [Series, Folder], Archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington [hereafter Washington Library], Mount Vernon, Virginia
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