As we have toured the United States, we continue to enjoy the history of this nation, history lessons we payed little attention to while in school. Charlottesville was no disappointment towards that goal, touring the homes of two presidents and attempting a third.
Highland, formerly Ash Lawn–Highland, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, and adjacent to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, was the estate of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States. Purchased in 1793, Monroe and his family permanently settled on the property in 1799 and lived at Highland for twenty-five years. Personal debt forced Monroe to sell the plantation in 1825.
While the original house actually burned down, a guest house believed to have been built during Monroe's presidency, still exists. The grounds were very attractive to walk around, and fortunately, we did have a guide to show us around. The tour guide did show us the bricks that formed the foundation for the original home.
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| President Monroe's homesite |
Monticello is the home of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence and founder of the University of Virginia. Jefferson began designing and building Monticello at age 26 after inheriting land from his father. The plantation was originally 5,000 acres, with Jefferson using slaves for extensive cultivation of tobacco and mixed crops, later shifting from tobacco cultivation to wheat in response to changing markets.
Monticello is an amazing property. It has been a place that have been told we "have to" visit, ever since we previously visited Mount Vernon. We had a beautiful day at Monticello. It is an amazing property designed by our third president. Fortunately, while some Covid restrictions were in place, this made our visit more enjoyable, as reservations were required and the crowds were smaller, we didn't have to crowd into the bus that transferred us to and from the parking lot.
This is an amazing spot on at the summit of a 85 foot peak, the views are exceptional. Jefferson designed the home himself, and he continued to redesign it for decades. Of course, much of the labor was preformed by slaves, and the story of Sally Hemings relationship with President Jefferson, and children who were born from that pairing is part of the story told at the home. While the estate is beautiful, it certainly was started at a different time in our country, one that todays citizens have difficulty understanding.
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| Jeffersons family graveyard. |
We were also fortunate that an actor portraying a senior Jefferson was present to give us some insight into Jefferson's life at the estate. He said he had previously worked in Williamsburg, but had gotten too old to play the part. He was amazing, full of stories and facts not ususally heard about Jefferson. This gentleman was a walking Jefferson encyclopedia. The visitors area at the beginning of the tour had a museum, which was also fascinating.
The James Madison's Montpelier, located in Orange County, Virginia, was the plantation house of the Madison family, including fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and his wife Dolley.
At James Monroe's we had a shortened tour, at Thomas Jefferson's home we had a less crowded tour with access to most areas of the home and all of the grounds.
What would have been our next stop, James Madison's home, located nearby, was closed due to Covid. We were able to take a photo of the sign, but the gate was closed, with no mention of when it would open. We visited at the end of April 2021, and it has since reopened.
I would say that our visit to Charlottesville was a very pleasant one. I think if you ever drive to DC, it would be a good trip to make while in the area.
