Monticello Graveyard
An overview of the current governance and history of the family graveyard at Monticello, which is owned a group of descendants of Jefferson and his wife, Martha.
The Monticello Graveyard is owned by the Monticello Association, a group of lineal descendants of Thomas Jefferson and his wife, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. Burials in the Monticello Graveyard are usually limited to direct descendants of Thomas and Martha Jefferson and their spouses, although there are a few exceptions, mostly from Jefferson's lifetime.
The first burial in the graveyard was Thomas Jefferson's childhood friend, Dabney Carr, in 1773. The Monticello Graveyard Association (now the Monticello Association) was formed in 1913 to care for the graveyard. Burials in the graveyard are still ongoing, and decisions about burials are made by the Monticello Association.
- Anna Berkes, 2011; updated 7/21/25.
Further Sources
- Monticello Association."Graveyard History: 250+ Years of Friendship & Family." Accessed July 21, 2025.