At the very time Ann was reading Washington's letter, a new charter of incorporation was being drafted. Like the first, it stipulated that Mount Vernon was to be "forever held . . . sacred to the Father of His Country" and, should the Association disband, the Commonwealth of Virginia would assume ownership of the property. Accompanying the new charter was a constitution outlining the formal offices of the Ladies' Association; one regent would preside over a council made up of a number of vice-regents chosen from each state in the Union. The Virginia legislature easily passed the revised charter and the new constitution, and the governor approved them on March 19. Gaining legal authority to purchase Mount Vernon, the first regent–Ann Cunningham–invited Washington to Richmond to sign the papers. He, accepted the terms of the contract, which he signed on April 6, 1858.

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The $200,000 price was an enormous sum for that time. Washington received a down payment of $18,000, the remainder of the money to be paid in four annual installments. The Washingtons retained the right to live in the house until final payment was made.

Mount Vernon's mansion and grounds looked as if they had long been abandoned. In July 1858, Harper's Weekly published an article describing the deplorable condition of the estate. Though slanted to promote the endeavors of the Ladies' Association, the article was filled with images of "decay on every side. . . . Normandy contains far better preserved memorials of William the Conqueror than Virginia does of Washington." The ladies would require considerable time and money to restore the house and grounds to the condition in which General Washington had known them. Fortunately, they had Edward Everett on their side.

In addition to his speeches on Washington, Everett agreed to write a year-long series of weekly essays for the New York Ledger and donate his $10,000 fee to the Ladies' Association. In all Everett raised more than $69,000 for the restoration of Mount Vernon.

To manage the large sums of money given to the association, Everett nominated a close friend and international banker, George Washington Riggs, for the office of treasurer. On May 7, 1858, Riggs wrote to Ann that he would happily serve in the post with the understanding that "no compensation or salary" would be "attached to the office." Honored by Riggs's enthusiasm, the regent gladly made him an integral part of the organization.

In February 1859, the association paid Washington $41,666 as a second installment. The ladies had hoped to pay off the full price of the estate by that time but wisely decided to direct some money toward much needed repairs since the house seemed as if it would collapse before they could take possession of it. In July Riggs surveyed the situation and reported that "the timbers supporting the roof are almost entirely gone. . . . A severe storm might blow it down in its present condition." Masts from boast supported portions of the portico; the house needed painting; windows were in need of repair; parts of the front staircase balustrade had to be replaced; and outside, the gardens that had delighted General Washington required much attention, as did the tomb. An elderly man who visited Mount Vernon in 1802 was consulted about the location of the ground's original walkways. He apparently remembered a great deal about the estate's early-nineteenth-century condition, for he remained a rich source of information as late as 1872.

Slowly, the restoration proceeded. Although anxious to obtain full ownership of the property, the Ladies' Association members were realistic enough to see that saving the home was of more immediate importance than owning it. With generous donations arriving from all over the country, however, Riggs was able to announce that the final payment to Washington had been made on December 9, 1859. Miraculously, the ladies, led by the irrepressible Ann Pamela Cunningham, had raised enough money to pay for Mount Vernon years ahead of schedule. The Association took formal possession of the plantation on George Washington's birthday in February 1860.

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