Tomorrow At Monticello

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  • Mon 76° / 60°

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Today’s Hours

Gates are open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Last tour starts at 5:10 pm.

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Construction of the University, 1817-1826

On October 6, 1817, with President James Monroe officiating, the cornerstone was laid for the first building on the University of Virginia grounds. Former presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison looked on, as did various dignitaries and many curious townspeople. The University, however, did not yet exist. The building under construction was that of Central College.[1] 

Footnotes

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Griffin Discovery Room

A hands-on activity center for children

Children operating a working model based on Jefferson's Polygraph copying machine
Monticello visitors—especially those ages 6 to 12—can literally get in touch with American history in the Griffin Discovery Room through hands-on activities.

Barboursville

TJE Original Title: 
Barboursville

Barboursville, located in Orange County, Virginia, was once the plantation of the Barbour family. The house, now ruined, was originally designed by Thomas Jefferson.

Architect's Scale

TJE Original Title: 
Architect's Scale

Artist/Maker: Unknown

Created: early 19th century

Origin/Purchase: possibly English

Materials: ivory

Dimensions: L: 34.6 (13 5/8 in.); W: 4 (1 9/16 in.)

Location: Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center ("Making Monticello" exhibit)

Owner: Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Accession Number: 1974-34-29

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Mornings in Monticello

I love watching guests on tours at Monticello when a clock strikes.  Why?  The look of surprise, then inevitably, a whisper, “wow, the clock still works,” and even better, “it’s nearly on time.”  It makes me wonder: how many people know what goes on inside a museum like Monticello before the doors open to visitors?

The Dome Room, The Intern Cave and Other Historical Adventures

Samantha LinAfter my freshman year at Georgetown University I returned to my hometown for a summer internship in the Education and Visitor Programs Department at Monticello.  I thought it would be absolutely stimulating but not too adventurous. But judging by the title to this mini-memoir, I bet y’all can guess how wrong I was.

Hôtel de Langeac

“I have at length procured a house in a situation much more pleasing to me than my present,” wrote Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams on September 4, 1785.  He went on to say, “It suits me in every circumstance but the price, being dearer than the one I am now in.”[1]  The probable impetus for this move was his elevation to Minister to the Court of Versailles, replacing Benjamin Franklin.

Footnotes

  • 1. Jefferson to Abigail Adams, September 4, 1785, in PTJ, 8:472-473.
[Callout] See Also

The Wall Street Journal looks at Jefferson's lasting decorative influence

Thomas Jefferson's dining room was restored recently to its original zingy chrome yellow.  Recently, the Wall Street Journal featured a story on Jefferson's influence on decorator and former White House design consultant Carleton Varney.  

Check out the story on The Wall Street Journal online.