Meditation Rock / Grave of George Washington's Mother

Marked by a tall obelisk at 1500 Washington Avenue, is the grave of George Washington’s mother. Near the obelisk, an inscription on Meditation Rock says of her, “Here Mary Ball Washington prayed for the safety of her son and country during the dark days of the Revolution.” Mary’s home is at 1200 Charles Street.

copyrighted and used by permission from David Beale, Baptist History in England and America: Personalities, Positions, and Practices

I came across an interesting postcard on eBay, entitled, Meditation Rock, Mary Washington’s Favorite Spot, Fredericksburg, Va.

The scene looked very relaxing, a couple of granite boulders in the middle of trees on a grass hill.

On the back was the description of what made this place significant:

A beautiful spot under the shade of large oak trees, where Mary Washington (George’s mother) used to spend time Bible reading for quiet, religious thought. Nearby is the monument erected by her countrywomen, marking the place where she was buried in 1789.

The historical marker on the site shares what her “quiet, religious thoughts” were:

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

President Andrew Jackson started the construction of the memorial obelisk in 1833, which wouldn’t be completed for 60 years!

“I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:”

(1 Kings 2:2-3)

From postcard:

Mary Washington’s favorite retreat for reading the Bible and quiet religious thought. Situated under the shade of a beautiful grove of oak trees just back of her monument.

Photo By Kevin W., July 10, 2008 HMDB