Correspondence, 1919 - 1920

This collection is arranged into ten series: Administration, Correspondence, Genealogy, Finances, Photographs, Scrapbooks, Wartime Activities, Historic Hampton, Philanthropy, and Miscellaneous.

Series I, Administration, consists of six subseries: Annual Reports spanning 1932-2013, Code of Administration booklets 1934-1968, Committee Minutes 1892-1973, Constitution and by-laws 1931-1990, Membership Lists 1976-1990, and Yearbooks 1928-1944.

Series II, Correspondence, contains general correspondence covering a variety of topics spanning 1892-1996. Early correspondence relating to the founding of the CDA includes a copy of Bills H.R 1519 during the first session of the 52nd Congress to incorporate the Society of the CDA from 7th January 1892 and S.3087 during the 54th Congress to incorporate the National Society of the CDA from 7 May 1896. In addition to these two Bills, there is also an Adverse Report meant to accompany Bills S.3087 and S.3356 relating to the incorporation of the CDA from 26 February 1897.

Correspondence in the early part of the 20th century reveals the CDA's dedication to the community both at home and abroad through attending events such as the statue unveiling ceremony of King Alfred the Great in 1901 in Winchester, the Commemoration of the Star Spangled Banner at Fort McHenry in Baltimore in 1914 and the rededication of the statue of Nathaniel Hale in New York City in 1922. Touching on its philanthropic history as a Society, the CDA outlined a desire in 1901 to create a scholarship fund for recent Johns Hopkins graduates to promote research into early American colonial history. The scholarship applicant was to write an essay related to early American colonial history and the prize was a bronze medallion nicknamed the Henrico Medallion after the University of Henricus (Henrico) named after Prince Henry of Wales, son of James I. The scholarship fund evolved and later correspondence shows a continued dedication to funding students studying historic preservation, one of the core values of the CDA.

The CDA remained dedicated to fundraising for various causes including asking for $700 to donate to the Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia to build additional rooms in the hospital, as well as donations to St. Paul’s School in 1973 and to the Johns Hopkins Evergreen House archaeology program in 1983. There is a newsletter detailing the restoration of Sea Gull Cottage, an effort taken on by the Palm Beach Chapter of the CDA in Florida, in 1986. Other fundraising projects prioritized by Chapter I include the Abigail Adams Smith Museum in New York circa 1989 and a call for donations to help fund the restoration of the Belair Mansion in Bowie, Maryland in 1991.

Relating to genealogy, this collection includes an original copy of the pedigree chart for Mary Washington Irvine Keyser, the first President of the CDA Chapter I circa 1920-1921, some correspondence concerning Chapter I’s report to the conference in New York in January 1924 discussing the first charts that were photostated (photographic machine introduced in the early 1900s), and letters written back and forth between genealogist William Marye and the office of genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus in New Haven, Connecticut.

Continuing with the tradition of historic preservation, another important project for the CDA was the restoration of the Hampton National Historic Site (Historic Hampton) located in Towson, Maryland, in particular the refurbishing of the Music Room post-World War II (WWII). Other correspondence includes an invitation for the reopening of the Music Room in conjunction with a scholarship benefit in April 1975 and a pamphlet outlining concert and lecture series taking place during 1995. An October 1979 letter from Representative (Rep.) Clarence D. Long discusses the interest of the National Parks Service (NPS) to acquire the Historic Hampton Farm property, which Rep. Long chose to share with the CDA due to their interest in Historic Hampton.

Other miscellaneous projects the CDA took on or were asked to be a part of include plans from 1960 to replicate the Mount Vernon flower garden at the American Museum in Britain and a letter from November 1979 from architecture historian James Ward to Mrs. Andrew J. Young III asking for assistance in locating color slides for the Parent Chapter's effort in writing a history of the preservation projects of the CDA since its founding in 1890.

Series III, Genealogy, consists of two subseries: Ancestry Claims and Pedigree Charts. Subseries A, Ancestry Claims, contains claim cards, claims book of Chapter I, claim applicants in alphabetical order from A to Y, and ancestry claim cards in alphabetical order from A to Z, all of which are undated. There are also claim forms dated 1892-1969, names proposed and seconded for membership dated 1892-1927, membership claim correspondence circa 1969-1995, membership claim approvals 1996-1999, and a lengthy file on the application materials of the Rich sisters dated 2014-2018.

Subseries B, Pedigree Charts, contains three oversized boxes, one housing a book titled “Pedigrees of Members of Chapter I. Colonial Dames of America” dated May 24, 1940 and the other two housing various handwritten and typed pedigree charts, 1893-1953.

Series IV, Finances, contains handwritten ledgers dated 1956-1968, PNC Bank checking account statements 2013-2014, and T. Rowe Price account information and mutual fund statements, 2013-2014.

Series V, Photographs, contains photographs taken during the ceremony of the cornerstone laying of the Southern Hotel on March 27, 1917 along with photographs taken during various CDA functions, 1973-2014.

Series VI, Scrapbooks, contains one scrapbook holding mixed materials and varied correspondence spanning 1902-1912.

Series VII, Wartime Activities, contains committee reports and resolutions during wartime, World War II service records of husbands and direct descendants of members along with two large volumes commemorating the service of men related to members of the CDA Chapter I during World Wars I and II.

Series VIII, Historic Hampton, contains materials related to the CDA’s relationship with the Historic Hampton in Towson, Maryland. Initial correspondence includes letters of interest beginning in 1948 detailing the CDA’s desire to become responsible for furnishing the Music Room at Historic Hampton along with letters from 1949 from the Society for the Preservation of Maryland Antiquities further discussing the CDA’s interest in the Music Room and becoming a custodian for Historic Hampton. There is also a letter detailing the National Parks Service’s potential acquisition of the Hampton Historic Farm property from October 1979.

Other materials found in Series VIII include a pamphlet detailing the history of Historic Hampton and an invitation for the reopening of the Music Room in April 1975. Also from 1975 is correspondence relating to the Music Room Committee initially headed by Mrs. Nancy Scott and letters regarding the desire to keep the furnishings period accurate to preserve the historical look of the room along with other documents related to appraisals of the furnishings and insurance policies spanning 1966-1982.

Historic Hampton files dated 1976-1996 contain the original by-laws and minutes of Historic Hampton along with a guidebook of the Site from 1986, and the draft general management plan book for the Site from October 1982.

Series IX, Philanthropy, contains two subseries. Subseries A, Scholarships, includes the background history of the Henrico Medallion from 1901, the first scholarship offered by the CDA Chapter I. The file for the Henrico Medallion contains the background history for the design and execution of the medallion, correspondence regarding the desire to start this scholarship, two engraved metal plates that would have had the winner of the scholarship competition’s name, a photograph of the medallion itself, correspondence with Johns Hopkins University, and a list of the first winners of the essay competition. The Henrico Medallion, a bronze medallion, was the prize for this competition intended for recent graduates of Johns Hopkins University to promote education in early American Colonial history. The medallion was named in reference to the University at Henricus (Henrico), which itself was named in honor of Prince Henry of Wales, son of James I, a University built in an attempt to offer a British-American style schooling to the native population along with the attempt to convert them to Christianity. Other correspondence in this subseries regards ongoing efforts to promote historic preservation studies and the continual support of students through scholarships to cover the costs of attending post-secondary institutions of learning. Subseries B, Historic Preservation Efforts, contains records of the CDA's involvement in historic preservation, 1945-1991.

Series X, Miscellaneous, contains miscellaneous CDA files dated 1890-2020, undated prints of a watercolor painting, a copybook circa 1892-1895, a yearbook from 1896 of the Society of Sons of the Revolution gifted to the CDA, a 1915 publishing of the letters of Miss Gardener and Miss Quincy titled “Pages in Azure and Gold”, a book labeled “Book of Remembrance” in memory of chapter members who have passed, a 1948 copy of the book titled “The Fountain Inn Diary” by Matthew Page Andrews, a 2020 copy of the book titled “The Queen of Denver”, and a collection of short stories filed in alphabetical order by story title written by Cary Gamble Lowndes (Barton Shaw) circa 1946.