Society Mission
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Virginia actively promotes our national heritage through statewide historic preservation, patriotic service and educational projects especially at Wilton House Museum.
Core Values
- We are committed to the preservation and restoration of our tangible heritage.
- We are dedicated to educating the American public– especially our youth– about our nation’s early history and its relevance to today.
- We continually reinterpret our collections to explore relevant cultural issues.
- We value the study and teaching of history and how it affects the present and the future.
- We strive to stimulate a spirit of true patriotism and love of country.
- We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional and ethical museum practices and historical scholarship.
- We are dedicated to the highest level of conduct in our relationships with each other and in our management of the Society.
- We strive to be an educational and cultural resource for the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.
Distinctive Attributes
What we have – A proud tradition of service to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia since 1892, as well as a remarkable historic house and collection of objects, memorials, markers and genealogical records.
What we do with it – Wilton House Museum, its collection and our genealogical records are the tools we use to fulfill our mission. With these tools, we serve our members and the community with educational programs and activities. It is our obligation to ensure the security, preservation, conservation, and appropriate interpretation of these tools.
How we do it – We, the members, gain inspiration and knowledge through offering the public opportunities to learn about history in an accurate, balanced and honest manner, and to be inspired by our common heritage. We are the stewards of an organization with a record of longevity and stability, and we are compelled to protect its dignity, credibility and vitality.
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America, founded in 1891, is an unincorporated association of 44 Corporate Societies with over 15,000 members. The Society headquarters is located at Dumbarton House (pictured), a federal period house museum in Washington, D.C. The NSCDA has been a leader in the field of historic preservation, restoration and the interpretation of historic sites since its New York Society first undertook the preservation of the Van Cortlandt House in 1897.
In addition to its broad based activities in the museum field, the Society sponsors a number of scholarship programs and other historic preservation, patriotic service and educational projects to further the aims and objects of the Society.
Membership in the organization is by sponsorship only. Members must be lineal descendants of an ancestor who rendered significant service to his country during the Colonial period before July 5, 1776.