"Monticello," Italian for "Little Mountain," is an enduring tribute to the genius and versatility of Thomas Jefferson, who personally designed and supervised erection of the splendid mansion. He resided in it for many years of his long life, his spirit lives on in its architectural perfection and the ingenious devices with which he equipped it, and he is buried nearby. Sitting amid pleasant gardens and lawns on a hilltop, the residence overlooks Charlottesville; the University of Virginia, which Jefferson founded and some of whose buildings he designed; and the green rolling hills of the surrounding countryside. Until his death, at the age of 83 on July 4, 1826, the prominent men of his age made pilgrimages to Monticello. To this day it is visited by the humble, as well as the great—all who admire Jefferson's character and accomplishments.

In 1757 Jefferson's father bequeathed the property, consisting of some 1,053 acres, to him. Eleven years later, while in his early twenties, he began leveling the hilltop, which at the time was considered to be a highly unconventional site for a home, and constructing a road-path system to link all parts of the plantation. In 1770 fire destroyed his modest, nearby residence and birthplace, Shadwell, and he moved to Monticello, where he had already begun building a mansion. The first part of it completed was the small south pavilion (1769-70), which he occupied as a bachelor's quarters until January 1772, when he brought his bride, Martha Wayles Skelton, to share it with him. It is still known as "Honeymoon Cottage."

The first Monticello, vastly different from the present one, was begun in 1770 and basically completed by 1779. Constructed of red brick, and trimmed with white cut stone, it consisted of a central two-story unit, which had a pedimented gable roof, at the sides of which were 1-1/2-story wings whose gabled roofs were perpendicular to the central unit. The chief architectural accent was the main two-story portico, Doric below and Ionic above. Small polygonal bays projected from the ends of the wings. Just after the War for Independence, Jefferson made numerous alterations and major changes.

The present two-wing structure, built in stages between 1793 and 1809, incorporates the original rooms of the house on the west, or garden-rear, side. The design, modeled on the Hotel de Salm in Paris, reflects Jefferson's shift in architectural preference from Georgian to Roman Revival, elements of both of which are represented. He was almost entirely responsible for starting the Roman Revival movement in the United States.

The house is furnished largely with Jefferson belongings, including a replica of the small portable desk on which he probably wrote the Declaration of Independence. The exhibits in the entrance hall are of special interest. Some of the clever devices in the residence are a 7-day calendar-clock and a dumbwaiter. The drawing room contains one of the first parquet floors in the United States. The upper levels are not shown to the public.

Upon Jefferson's death in 1826, his daughter Martha inherited Monticello, but was soon forced to sell it, to the first of a series of private owners. In 1923 the newly organized Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation purchased the estate, the following year opened it to the public, and has retained ownership to the present day.

Monticello and the Corps of Discovery

Long before becoming president, Thomas Jefferson dreamed of organizing an expedition to explore the western part of the continent. Once the authority was given to him, he wasted little time in naming his former secretary, Meriwether Lewis, as co-commander of just such an expedition. Lewis had been born a mere ten miles from Monticello at his father’s farm, Locust Grove, and grew up, like Jefferson, in Albemarle County Virginia. Lewis sent Jefferson many items while on the expedition, which he displayed prominently at Monticello.

Credits and Sources:

Information on Jefferson’s Monticello courtesy of the National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/jefferson_monticello.html

 

Content for this Next Exit History site also sponsored by the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. For more information visit http://lewisandclark.org/.

Information on Monticello and the Corps of Discovery created by Historical Research Associates and derived from:

Moulton, Gary E., editor. The Definitive Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Accessed March 2015. http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/.