Staunton City Council will roll out the red carpet, figuratively speaking, to mark the 100th anniversary of the arrival of a limousine used by President Woodrow Wilson in the Queen City.
A proclamation will be made on Dec. 11 at its regular meeting to recognize the momentous occasion for the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, who received Wilson’s 1919 Pierce Arrow limousine after his death. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at City Hall in Downtown Staunton.
His widow, Edith Bolling Wilson, donated the vehicle for a memorial to her late husband in Staunton.
The historic automobile arrived on Nov. 25, 1925. For a century, it has been an important symbol of the connection between Staunton and Woodrow Wilson.
Historically, the vehicle was part of the White House fleet beginning in 1919. It was purchased by friends of Wilson for his private use when he left office in 1921. It served as his primary transportation until his death in February 1924.
Wilson’s Pierce-Arrow is the oldest continuously operating presidential automobile in the United States. The vehicle has been in parades, at car shows across the country and was featured on the cover of the Statler Brothers’ album, “10th Anniversary,” in 1980.
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum is located at 20 N. Coalter St. in Staunton and includes Wilson’s birthplace, a museum, and library and archives.
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Crystal Graham
