Mary Washington's Meditation Rock (Fredericksburg, Virginia)

 landmark, place with historical importance

Here Mary Ball Washington prayed for the safety of her son and country during the dark days of the revolution.

Mary Ball was born at "Epping Forest", Lancaster County, Virginia (1708-1789), and married Captain Augustine Washington on March 6, 1731. They became the parents of four sons and two daughters: George, Samuel, John Augustine, Charles, Betty and Mildred (who died in infancy).

In 1772 Mary Washington moved from "Ferry Farm" to a house in Fredericksburg bought by her son, George Washington. She often came to this spot to meditate and to pray and requested that she be buried here. Mary Washington died in 1789 and her grave went unmarked for many years. In 1833, Silas Burrows, a wealthy New York merchant, agreed to pay for a monument for Mary Washington's grave and President Jackson laid the cornerstone. Financial reverses prevented Mr. Burrows from finishing the monument and the shaft was never mounted on the base. In 1889, the centennial year of Mary Washington's death, a group was chartered with the goal of erecting a new monument. The National Mary Washington Memorial Association erected the present monument and on May 10, 1894, it was dedicated. President Grover Cleveland was the honored guest and main speaker. Vice President Adlai E. Stevenson, the Governor of Virginia and other dignitaries were present.