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Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings

	MONTICELLO Virginia
Albemarle County, just off Va. 53, about 2 miles southeast of Charlottesville. Monticello Travel Itinerary

Ownership and Administration. Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation.

Significance. "Monticello," Italian for "Little Mountain," is an enduring tribute to the genius and versatility of Thomas Jefferson. He spent many years of his long life and is buried there, and his spirit lives on in the architectural perfection of the house and the multitude of ingenious devices with which he equipped it. A splendid specimen of a colonial mansion, classically designed by Jefferson himself, it sits amid pleasant gardens and lawns on a hilltop overlooking Charlottesville; the University of Virginia, which he founded and some of whose buildings he designed; and the green rolling hills of the surrounding countryside, through which he traveled so often on trips of state. Especially after his retirement from public life until his death, at the age of 83, on July 4, 1826, the great 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 acquired title to the property from his father. Eleven years later he began leveling the hilltop. To make all parts of the hill accessible, he constructed paths, or roundabouts, as he called them, on its slopes at four different levels; the remains of these are visible today. Because of numerous changes and alterations in the plans, all construction was not completed until 1809.

Before Jefferson built Monticello, every plantation had a series of small outbuildings such as the laundry, smokehouse, dairy, stable, weaving-house, schoolhouse, and kitchen. Jefferson sought to render these as inconspicuous as possible by locating them beneath the long terraces terminating in the two balanced out chambers. Connecting these terraces is the all-weather passageway in which are strategically placed the wine room, wareroom, beer cellar, cider room, and rum cellar. Beneath the south terrace are the kitchen, the cook's room, servants' rooms, room for smoking meat, and the dairy. The small pavilion on the end of this terrace is on the site of the first dwelling to be erected—"Honeymoon Cottage," where Jefferson brought his bride, the former Martha Wayles Skelton, in January 1772. The north terrace houses the stables, the carriage house, icehouse, and laundry. Jefferson used the building terminating the north terrace, adjacent to which is the paddock, as an office.

Thomas Jefferson's colonial mansion, Monticello, which he himself designed, reveals the essence of his genius and versatility. The mansion and grounds, in a setting of serene beauty, overlook Charlottesville, Virginia.

Present Appearance. In 1923 the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation purchased the estate, now consisting of 700 acres, from the Levy family, which had owned it for more than 75 years. The foundation has restored and preserved the house and grounds, which are open to the public. The 3-story mansion consists of 35 rooms, including 12 in the basement, or fourth level. The dominating feature is the central dome, which covers an octagonal room. The spacious 2-wing mansion is furnished largely with Jefferson belongings, including such ingenious devices as a 7-day calendar-clock, a folding desk, a dumbwaiter, and a folding quartet music stand. One room contains the first parquet floor in the United States. The second and third stories, accessible only by narrow staircases, are not shown to the public. A small museum in the basement contains a number of personal effects of the Jefferson family. Both house and grounds are well maintained. Jefferson is buried not far from the house in the family graveyard, which he laid out on the hilltop adjacent to the road leading from the house.

NHL Designation: 12/19/60