Mr. James Rees, Executive Director, George. Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate , visited CAW at the January 2004  meeting at the invitation of CAW member Steve Lear. Mr. Rees was quite impressed with the turned pieces on display, made by our members. He inquired if CAW members would turn him some pieces out of wood from Mount Vernon. CA Savoy and Don Riggs agreed to head up this task.  

On Jan. 26th, CA and Don met with Mr. Rees to show what we could make with wood from the Estate and get further guidance on what he desires from CAW members. Mr. Rees was joyfully impressed with the pieces shown to him. They include natural edge bowls and pots, also light pulls, damaged in last year’s hurricane. We advised Mr. Rees that because of the short turn around time, natural edge bowls, pots and hollow forms would work best for this project.  The finished turnings will be donated at a function on June 10th to people who have made significant monetary contributions to Geo. Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate .

The evening before, in a special dinner for the major benefactors to the $87M museum building fund, the club’s turnings of the White Ash tree (known to have been planted by George Washington in 1784) were presented to the participants. We would love to have been a fly on the wall during that event to see the reactions as the people received their gifts. Jim Rees said that the presentations were the highlight of the evening. The next day, at the ground-breaking, a number of people took the time to seek out the CAW representatives and talk about how thrilled they were to have received such excellent pieces of art. One of the past Regents of the Ladies of Mt. Vernon talked about how she was going to display her bowl in a glass cabinet. The CAW people told her that would be fine, but the pieces were really made to be used and enjoyed.

At the conclusion of the Friday ceremony, a new 40 foot Maple tree was planted at one of the improvement sites with a sampling of soil from all the places associated with George Washington. Soil from the Capital building, the tavern in Alexandria liked by G.W., the property sites owned by G.W. in Mary-land and Virginia, the Grist Mill off Highway 1, etc., etc. Who knows, maybe in 150 years or so, CAW members might be turning some Maple tree pieces. 

All the people who turned the White Ash wood, and all CAW members, can take a justifiable pride in our association with this project. It has earned us a great reputation.