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== Preservation ==
Although he had made a considerable fortune smuggling sugar, McLean's money was in [[Confederate States dollar|Confederate currency]], which became worthless with the collapse of the Confederacy, and he was nearly ruined by the end of the war. In the fall of 1867 the McLeans left Appomattox Court House for Mrs. McLean's estate in [[Prince William County, Virginia]]. The banking house of Harrison, Goddin, and Apperson of [[Richmond, Virginia]], obtained a judgment against Wilmer McLean when he defaulted on loans against the property. The house, by then known as the "Surrender House", was sold at [[public auction]] on November 29, 1869, and purchased by John L. Pascoe. Records show he then rented it to the Ragland family of Richmond, Virginia.<ref name="npsMeleanhouse1">{{cite web|url= http://www.nps.gov/apco/mclean-house.htm |title= The McLean House – The Post War Years|access-date= 2009-01-21|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
The renter Nathaniel H. Ragland then purchased the property for $1,250 in 1872. After Nathaniel died in 1888, his widow Martha sold the property in 1891 for $10,000 to a Captain [[Myron Dunlap]] of [[Niagara Falls, New York]]. Dunlap and some other investors who participated devised a few plans intending to capitalize on the historical significance of the property. One scheme they came up with was to move the disassembled house to Washington, D.C. to become a permanent display as a Civil War museum.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.civilwar-books.com/McLeanHouseEnlarged-Writeup.htm|title= The McLean House write-up|access-date= 2009-01-21|publisher= National Park Service|archive-date= 2008-11-19|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081119234151/http://www.civilwar-books.com/McLeanHouseEnlarged-Writeup.htm|url-status= dead}}</ref> There they would charge entrance fees to view the "surrender house" that ended the Civil War. They hired architects to measure drawings including elevations. They also hired contractors for materials specifications lists. The house was disassembled piece by piece and packed for shipping. At this point the investors involved ran out of money and legal problems came about. This scheme was never brought to fruition. The house became just a heaping piles of boards and bricks and sat prey to vandals, collectors, and the environment for fifty years.<ref name="npsMeleanhouse1"/>
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