Contemplative Site

A powerful, yet tranquil space to reflect upon lives and legacies of Monticello's enslaved African Americans.

Location
Historic mountaintop area
Cost
Included with admission
The names of people enslaved at Monticello cut into spaces in a corten steel wall so that they stand out from the light behind them.

Despite the horrors of slavery, African Americans forged enduring family and community connections, and cultural and spiritual practices. The Contemplative Site is a space to reflect upon their lives and legacies.

Thomas Jefferson held more than 610 people in bondage. The site’s 60-foot long steel wall lists their known names. Blank spaces ensure that new names can be added as we learn more.

Updating the Contemplative Site at Monticello

Gallery

Location

The Contemplative Site is located in an area Jefferson designed as a wooded, ornamental landscape and called the “Grove” at the western end of the Monticello mountaintop. The site features a recreated Jefferson-era “1-in-10” road that once ran nearby. Enslaved people moved along this road to access the North Spring, an important water source.

We thank the following supporters for their generous contributions to the Contemplative Site project: Ronald and Sandra Kossar, Fritz and Claudine Kundrun, Americana Foundation, HGA, Values Partnerships, and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects.

Creating the Contemplative Site