I'm bowled over by the shared sense of mission and purpose that I've witnessed from the ticket windows to the sand trucks. If America is in Monticello's hands, the future is bright.
-Jane Kamensky, January 19, 2024
April 25, 2024 - Arriving at Monticello in mid-January, Dr. Jane Kamensky enthusiastically dived into her role as Monticello's new president, exploring the Monticello property, taking tours, and doing ride-alongs with our staff. This is no small feat - the Monticello property spans over 3,000 acres and includes 26 departments supporting the foundation's mission of education and preservation.
Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at Kamensky's first one hundred days at Monticello.
Digging into History
Research and education is the beating heart of our work at Monticello. We host a vibrant community of historians, scholars, archaeologists, educators, restoration and conservation teams, curators, librarians, and other professionals who are actively exploring history to then present to the public. Starting in January, Kamensky visited our research staff to get a close-up look into Monticello's ongoing, and widely varied, initiatives.
In the Archaeology department, Kamensky toured the archaeology laboratory for a hands-on look at artifacts. This included finds from Mulberry Row and the Monticello Plantation as well as artifacts being analyzed by the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery (DAACS). She is seen here with DAACS Project Manager Beth Bollwerk inspecting a cross-mended Native American pot from Flowerdew Hundred Plantation, a collection from the Williamsburg area currently being catalogued by DAACS staff.
It's All in the Details
Monticello's Restoration department is responsible for the preservation, conservation, and accurate interpretation of the mountaintop's historic and reconstructed buildings.
One recent project includes documenting and repairing the highly detailed "compo" ornaments found throughout the house, which can be seen up close from the second floor balcony. Here, Monticello's Architectural Conservator Lucy Midlefort and Senior Restoration Specialist Carol Richardson examine details on compo borders on the second floor of the house.
Later on the same morning, Restoration staff took Kamensky on a tour of Monticello's distinct roof, where she also had a unique view of one of our tour groups on the West Lawn.
Joining the Celebration: Founder's Day
Every year, Monticello joins with the University of Virginia to mark Founder's Day and the anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s birth with a ceremony, celebration, and the presentation of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals. This year Kamensky participated in her first Founder's Day, overseeing the festivities on Monticello's West Lawn on April 12, marking Jefferson's 281st birthday.
The ceremony featured the remarks of Julieanna L. Richardson, the 2024 recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership, and Dr. Andrea Douglas, recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Citizenship Award. Richardson is the founder and president of The HistoryMakers, a national non-profit educational institution that has curated, presented, and preserved on video the histories of thousands of African Americans. Douglas is the founding executive director of Jefferson School African American Heritage Center in Charlottesville, VA.
Kamensky also joined the Medals Dinner on April 11 at Monticello, co-hosting with the University of Virginia all the honorees, including recipients of the medals in Law (The Honorable Roger L. Gregory) and Architecture (Kate Orff).
Jefferson’s legacy can be embraced across the political spectrum through honesty and the pursuit of evidence as well as the pursuit of happiness. So it was really exciting to honor two educators of such different kinds and power.
-Jane Kamensky, April 12, 2024