James Crutchett was an entrepreneur who partnered with John A. Washington, the last owner of Mount Vernon. By the 1850s, Mount Vernon was falling into disrepair and John Washington was struggling to maintain the property. In 1852, he signed a contract with Crutchett giving Crutchett exclusive rights to timber on certain parts of Mount Vernon for 10 years in exchange for $12,000. Crutchett would then use the wood to make commemorative Washington objects that he sold to a public clamoring for anything related to the first president. Starting in 1856, Crutchett manufactured these items at the corner of North Capitol Street and D Street NE in Washington, D.C. at the "Mount Vernon Factory".