Kemper Park and the Monticello Trail

The "keystone" of the Thomas Jefferson Parkway is the Saunders Bridge. Opened on July 3, 2002, the bridge serves as Monticello's main vehicular entrance and a link between sections of the Saunders-Monticello Trail on the north and south side of Route 53. Both the bridge and the Saunders-Monticello Trail are named in grateful recognition of a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Saunders III. Mr. Saunders is a former chairman of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation's Board of Trustees.

Thomas Jefferson, himself, envisioned a bridge in the same general vicinity when he devised plans to connect his property at Monticello to land he owned across the road, known then as Montalto (now Brown's Mountain). In his "General Ideas for the Improvement of Monticello" (ca. 1804), he discussed linking the upper (Montalto) and lower (Monticello) park lands without impeding public traffic through the "thoroughfare" gap:

"The north side of Monticello below the thoroughfare roundabout quite down to the river and all Montalto above the thoroughfare to be converted into park & riding grounds, connected at the Thoroughfare by a bridge, open, under which the public road may be made to pass so as not to cut off the communication between the upper and lower park grounds."

The current necessity for a new, safer entrance to Monticello for cars, and the imperative to link the Saunders-Monticello Trail with Monticello itself suggested a return to Jefferson's vision for a bridge.

The resulting Saunders Bridge, as designed by Rieley and Associates of Charlottesville, is a massive, stone arch spanning Route 53. The elliptical arch of the bridge recalls the Pont de Neuilly, which Jefferson so admired during his stay in Paris, while the fieldstone facing evokes the architectural tradition of great parkways such as the Blue Ridge Parkway. A stone bridge is one of the signatures of American parkways.

The bridge stands twenty-one feet under the keystone (thirty-five feet to the top of the bridge), high and wide enough to accommodate two tractor-trailers, side by side. It will arch over three lanes of traffic, while carrying two lanes of traffic (plus a sidewalk connected to the Saunders-Monticello Trail) into and out of Monticello.

Workers employed ancient and seldom-used technique to build the bridge. Instead of erecting a frame, earth was packed under the span to support the arch as it was built. 3,200 tons of concrete was poured to form the footings, walls and vault, which will be faced with stone. The 32,000 square feet of fieldstone facing comes from Highland County, Virginia, while the arches are highlighted by New England granite blocks, carefully cut to maintain a precise geometric ellipse.

W. C. English Inc., of Lynchburg, Virginia, began building the bridge in 2000, and Espina Stone of Fairfax, Virginia was the masonry contractor.

The Monticello Trail Arboretum was designed to showcase trees and shrubs native to Albemarle County, Virginia. Thomas Jefferson documented planting many native plant species at Monticello. The Arboretum is inspired by Jefferson's curiosity for his native surroundings, which he so carefully observed and enthusiastically shared with fellow naturalists.

Over 130 species of trees and shrubs grow in a wide range of habitats in Albemarle County, which stretches from the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west to the rolling Piedmont in the east. On the Trail, species are grouped into distinct  "rooms", according to aesthetic, environmental or natural qualities, rather than by scientific classification.

Carter Overlook is a small, circular plaza, paved with bluestone and ringed by a low seat-wall. Occupying a hilltop amidst Loblolly Pine trees, the overlook offers vistas to Charlottesville, western Albemarle County, and the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond.

The dedication plaque reads:

Carter Overlook

Made possible through the generosity of the Carter Family in joyful remembrance of Robert Carter (1919-1995), business and civic leader and Chairman of the Monticello Board.

Dedicated by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in grateful recognition of his extraordinary service and his tenacious vision for the Thomas Jefferson Parkway.

Completed in 2005, the Palmer Woodland Theater is an outdoor classroom sited in a majestic stand of centuries-old white oak trees along the Saunders-Monticello Trail. The theater is built around a circular, masonry stage, and is organized into a series of ter-races with rustic benches pro-viding seating for up to forty-eight people. Designed by the architects of the parkway itself, Rieley & Associates, the Palmer Woodland Theater will provide a venue for Monticello's educational programs, such as the Saturdays in the Garden series of natural history walks and workshops.

The Woodland Theater was named in honor of George C. Palmer, a twenty-six year member of the Board of Trustees of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. He also served as President of the Perry Foundation, which, through a generous challenge grant, made the construction of the Palmer Woodland Theater possible. Other financial supporters included the Charlottesville Garden Club and Mrs. George C. Palmer.

In the Spring of 2006, the Foundation, assisted by volunteers from the APO service fraternity at the University of Virginia, opened trails into Secluded Farm, a 100-acre property to the south of Kemper Park which Monticello leases from the Thomas Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District. Two miles of mowed paths wind through Secluded Farm's natural grasslands, and the path is suited for trail runners and dog walkers.

To reach Secluded Farm's trails, take the right-hand trail from the Trailhead Parking Lot. Soon after passing the tiny wet-land/pond, look to your right for a mowed path. Follow this path uphill. Please stay on these mowed paths, and respect the property and privacy of the residents of Secluded Farm.

Secluded Farm was originally deeded by Clara and John A. Smart to the Thomas Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District under the stipulation that it be maintained in a state of nature.

A spur trail circles the pond, which is fed by springs and a seasonal stream from the mountain behind it. The shore has been planted with native species of wetland trees and shrubs. Wetland grasses and reeds have also colonized the water's edge. Several kinds of water-loving birds frequent the site, including blue heron, green heron, Canada goose and duck. The pond has been stocked with indigenous species of fish. It is also the focus of the Fall Color Room in the arboretum, reflecting the bright colors from trees planted on the adjoining slopes.