From the first bricks laid by enslaved workers in 1768 and continuing on to the present day, highly skilled craftspeople have built, re-built, maintained, and restored Monticello. An important partner in our restoration efforts over the past forty years is the architectural millwork firm Gaston & Wyatt. Immensely talented and able to painstakingly recreate long-lost historic features, Gaston & Wyatt has worked closely with our historians and outside architects to ensure that Monticello restoration projects meet the highest standards. Watch this Q&A with Gaston & Wyatt craftsman Charles Morrill and former Monticello Director of Restoration Bob Self. We discuss the firm’s work at Monticello and the 2014 recreation of Thomas Jefferson’s exterior louvered blinds—a key aspect of Monticello’s unique architectural heritage.

This livestream was made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.