George Washington Birthplace National Monument. Image credits: NPS
In 1930, philanthropist John D. Rockefeller responded by initiating the acquisition of 267 acres for $115,000 in the late 1920s and holding the property in trust while the association raised money for its project. He completed the final deed transfer and financial release in early 1930, just days before the site was formally established as a national monument on 23 January 1930; Rockefeller handed over the land to the association. Virginia acquired the property in 1858, and the federal government later became responsible for the site. In 1896, a granite obelisk was erected at what was then believed to be Washington’s birthplace, thus creating an early public memorial at the location.
Rockefeller Jr. made a major contribution to the effort to preserve the landscape where George Washington was born. The Wakefield National Memorial Association approached Rockefeller for financial support to develop a memorial at Washington’s birthplace. This final step allowed Rockefeller to formally handover the land to the association for immediate conveyance to the federal government. The transaction involved more than just buying land and giving it immediately to the federal government. Once the acreage was secured for the George Washington Birthplace National Monument in the late 1920s, Rockefeller held the property in trust for the Wakefield National Memorial Association. This move safeguarded the land while the organisation raised funding for its structural expansion, allowing the association to systematically develop the Memorial Area, before donating the private holding directly to the National Parks Service.
The National Park Service says almost half of today’s park acreage was donated by Rockefeller.
The federal agency reported that the association approached Rockefeller specifically for funding to develop the Memorial Area, and he responded by purchasing the 267 acres. The memorial efforts gathered momentum in the early 20th century when the Wakefield National Memorial Association sought to create a larger commemorative landscape around the first president’s birthplace. However, acquiring enough land and financing the proposed improvements required substantial private investment. That was when the association turned toward John D. Rockefeller Jr., who was already known as one of the country’s most prominent philanthropists and a major supporter of historic preservation.