The Virginia Dynasty (part of it, anyway)

I started out by driving down to Charlottesville.  “Why?”, you ask.  I’ll tell you.  It is where you find the only U.S. presidential home that is on the list of U.N. World Heritage sites.  If you need another clue, the owner of this home is on Mount Rushmore, has a memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C., is pictured on the $2 bill as well as the nickel.  I’m talking about Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

Writer, scientist, philosopher, inventor, architect, politician.  Probably more titles fit, as well.  All of these fit Thomas Jefferson.  He designed (and redesigned, and redesigned) his home at Monticello.  He wrote the Declaration of Independence (the accomplishment he was most proud of in his life).  He also wrote the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom, which ended state religion in Virginia.  He founded the University of Virginia.  Those three things are what he had engraved on his tombstone (which he also designed).  Interesting side note; The graveyard is still in use today, and members of Jefferson’s family are still buried there.

I then drove next door, to visit the home of James Monroe, our 5th U.S. President, and third straight from Virginia.  The main portion of this home actually burned down at some point, but they found the foundation a few years back, next to an oak tree that is probably 300+ years old.  The house that is there, is actually three separate builds, first by Monroe as an expansion to his home to provide more guest rooms, another room added at some point in the 1850’s, and the third added in the 1870’s, if I remember right.

Left is the oak tree, that would have been there when the Monroe family first bought the property and built the home.  I think if you look closely at the bottom of the picture, you can see some stones laid out to show where the foundation of the home was.

Upper right is the three sections of the home, the Monroe’s built the section on the right, the middle piece was added some 30 years later, and finally the section painted in yellow (or gold) was added much later.  The bottom right picture shows the Monroe portion.  Again, this was not the original house, but was added while Monroe was President to accommodate the increased number of guests he received whenever he was home.

I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but I haven’t been showing pictures of the inside of these homes.  It is because they don’t allow photography inside.  I would love to show you the inside, especially Monticello, but you’ll just have to come out and see it for yourself.  A picture rarely does justice to its subject anyway.

I wanted to stop and see James Madison’s home, but got there too late, so I’ll have to try to work him in another day.  Happy Road-Tripping!