A new client and I were enjoying lunch one day, getting to know one another better. Mary and her husband, Robert, are moving to the area from Pensacola, Florida. Mary and I had spent a couple of days together already; in fact, she had already decided on the house they would buy. They were relocating to be closer to their son, who lives here, and also to escape the Florida heat. So, there we were, chatting it up, and she said, “I love history.” She didn’t say this in relation to the Charlottesville area; it was just a statement about who she is and what she enjoys. I know I must have looked at her funny, because my thoughts were spinning…. History - Charlottesville - Virginia, in general. And let’s talk about the Founding Fathers, shall we? So we shall…
I had originally titled this post “Three Presidents”, but then, while reviewing the Monticello website, I saw they listed an itinerary, the title of which I will “borrow”… “A Presidential Itinerary.”
The three Presidents are Thomas Jefferson (his home, Monticello), James Monroe (his home, Ashlawn-Highland), and James Madison (the home he shared with his wife, Dolley, Montpelier). Due to the close proximity of these three historic estates, you could physically visit each of the three in a day, but it would be a mistake to try, I think. Visiting each on separate days, or perhaps combining Monticello and Ashlawn, and then Montpelier on a second day, that would work. There is so much history and beauty to soak up at each estate.
At Montice
llo, you’ll “discover the genius of Jefferson”. Thomas Jefferson was, of course, author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, third president of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia, also located in Charlottesville.
Visiting Monticello is a pleasure at any time, but there’s no time quite like Spring and early Summer, when the gardens are also available for touring.
931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 984-9822 | 434-984-9880 Ticket Office
The Monticello Website is unbelieveable: http://www.monticello.org/
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Just a few moments from Monticello lies Ashlawn-Highland, the home of President James Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe.
From the website, "Ashlawn-Highland is an historic house museum, 535-acre working farm, and performing arts site in Albemarle County, Virginia. President James Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe of New York, (made Ashlawn-Highlands) their official residence from 1799 to 1823.
Ash Lawn-Highland was opened for public visitation in 1931 by philanthropist Jay Winston and Helen Lambert Johns. Upon his death in late 1974, Johns bequeathed Ash Lawn-Highland to the College of William and Mary, alma mater of James Monroe."
1000 James Monroe Parkway
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Phone: (434) 293-8000
Website: http://www.ashlawnhighland.org
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Approximately 30 minutes east of Monticello and Ashlawn-Highland is located Montpelier, the home of President James Madison and his wife, Dolley Madison.
Explore Montpelier…
Learn more about James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, intellectual force behind the new republic, and Dolley Madison, his younger, vivacious, and socially and politically astute wife — The Woman who inspired the title "First Lady."
See how the Montpelier Community lived — the Madisons, the enslaved community, and the freedmen, after Emancipation.
Learn about the 2,650 acres of gardens and grounds, walking trails, cemeteries, and the Landmark Forest.
11395 Constitution Highway,
Montpelier Station VA 22957
Phone: 540.672.2728 x140
Website: http://www.montpelier.org
On the Monticello website are listed several itineraries, including the one they call the Presidentail Itinerary.. Follow their advice, and you will have one incredibly fun and interesting weekend of local flavor and history…
The Presidential Itinerary (reprinted in part from the Monticello website...)
East of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with a landscape that captivated Presidents Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, Central Virginia is stee
ped in the history of the founders. The region continues to inspire even the most seasoned enthusiasts. From the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence, to the little tavern where legislators stopped on their way to Congress—all within a 30-mile radius—this itinerary will take you on a presidential tour more than 260 years in the making.
Duration: 36 hours; Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.
Friday Evening
School's in Session
After checking into your hotel, take some time to enjoy the Lawn, as it's known throughout Charlottesville. This grassy, terraced court is the center of the University of Virginia.
Jefferson's "Academical Village"—including ten architecturally unique pavilions—was a radical departure from the theological dogmatism of other American colleges in the 1800s. Free tours of the Rotunda, Jefferson's prized, domed Library at the north end of the Lawn, are offered daily. And don't miss the gardens, behind the pavilions. Varying in use, each features quirky plantings and serpentine walls. … MUCH MORE
View Larger Map
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Did you know?
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
As we all know, Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration in committee with John Adams (and Benjamin Franklin).
After George Washington retired from the Presidency, John Adams became President and Thomas Jefferson became Vice-President. The two men had disagreed politically throughout the Washington Administration, and were only both elected because in those days, whomever came in second in the Presidential vote became Vice-President. During the Adams Administration, the two differed on almost every issue, and Jefferson defeated Adams and took the Presidency in 1800. To make a long story short, although they had worked together in the cause for independence, Adams and Jefferson became truly bitter enemies when political parties began to form around each of them.
Luckily, Adams and Jefferson reconciled in their retirement and they became the absolute best of friends as they lived out their final years. Both men were conscious of living to see the fiftieth Fourth of July, and both, despite knowing they were on their death beds, made genuine efforts to hang on to dear life until the day had come.
Five years to the day after Adams and Jefferson died -- on July 4, 1831 -- the fifth President, James Monroe, passed away.
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