Woodrow Wilson, a two-term president from 1913 to 1921, was born adjacent to the chateau-styled mansion that today highlights the extraordinary legacy of the 28th president of the United States.
Born in 1856 in Staunton, at the age of one-year old, Wilson’s family moved to Augusta, Georgia where his father worked as a chaplain in the Confederate Army and his mother played an important role in building a hospital. It has been said that these experiences influenced Wilson during his presidency as he advocated for peace over war.
Adding to his accomplishments as president, Wilson was one of the country’s most educated persons serving in the White House, having earned his PhD and authoring many books on government. Indeed prior to entering into politics, Wilson worked first as a college professor and eventually was president of Princeton University, his Alma mater.
Wilson was married twice, first to Ellen Axxson, who gave birth to three of his daughters, and then died in 1914. During his second term, he remarried Edith Boling Galt, a fellow widow.
It was during his term as president that Wilson saw to it that many social and economic reforms were passed. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913, which to this day still regulates the US’s banks, credit and money supply, is indeed one of his most notable ones. We also have Woodrow Wilson to thank for the Child Labor Reform Act and for his signing of legislation to support unions and labor laws with regard to working adults. Many presidents might have been proud to settle on a legacy that includes these accomplishments, however not Wilson. During his second term, he fought to see that women gained the right to vote.
A progressive thinking man, Wilson left behind many other enactments and policies adopted during his presidency that will long be remembered.
A museum erected in his honor is the only way to aptly celebrate these achievements. Come visit The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library located at:
8-24 North Coalter Street
Staunton, Virginia 24401
540-885-0897
Toll free 888-4Woodrow
November through February
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Sundays
Guided tours of Manse offered every 45 minutes with the last tour at 3:15 p.m.
March through October
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sundays
Guided tours of Manse offered every 45 minutes with the last tour at 4:15 p.m.
Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Easter.