Encyclopedia
1796 Mutual Assurance Plat
A plat by Jefferson with detailed descriptions and sketches of the main house, South Pavilion, and structures along Mulberry Row.
Monticello (House)
Articles about the Monticello house and its features, dependencies, and design.
page 1 of 4
-
![Jefferson's sketch of Monticello and buildings along Mulberry with descriptions of each written out for insurance purposes, 1796. Labeled as N133; K136. Dimensions: 45.7 cm x 22.1 cm (18" x 8-11/16"). Original manuscript from the Coolidge Collection of Thomas Jefferson Manuscripts, Massachusetts Historical Society.]()
-
![Shelves with copper pans and cooking utensils like the walls of Monticello's restored kitchen, which features a brick floor, a large hearth, a large preparation table, and a row of stew stoves along the left wall.]()
Encyclopedia1809 Kitchen
Completed by 1809, Monticello's best-equipped kitchen was the domain of enslaved chefs Edith Fossett and Frances Hern, who brought French-trained culinary expertise to the mountain after serving at the White House.
-
![The alcove bed in Jefferson''s bed chamber.]()
EncyclopediaAlcove Beds
Jefferson was "much attached" to alcove beds and incorporated them into nearly every bedroom during his redesign of Monticello in the 1790s.
-
![The alcove bed in Jefferson''s bed chamber.]()
EncyclopediaBathing
Apart from Jefferson's "habit of bathing my feet in cold water every morning," little is known about bathing practices at Monticello.
-
![The alcove bed in Jefferson''s bed chamber.]()
EncyclopediaBed Chamber
Explore the bed chamber in Monticello and its importance to Jefferson's personal life.
-
![Albemarle County native Benjamin F. Ficklin held the title to Monticello in the waning days of the Civil War]()
Benjamin Ficklin
Benjamin Ficklin, an entrepreneur and adventurer credited with creating the Pony Express, briefly owned Monticello in the Civil War era.
-
![]()
EncyclopediaBilliards
Find out how Jefferson felt about the game billiards and its role at Monticello during the Levy ownership of the property.
-
![]()
EncyclopediaBlinds and Shutters
Read references to blinds and shutters in Jefferson's letters and records.
-
![A view of Jefferson's Cabinet office focusing on his writing arrangement of revolving desk with Polygraph, chair with candlesticks, bench, and revolving stand.]()
EncyclopediaCabinet (Room)
Learn about Thomas Jefferson's personal study or Cabinet, where Jefferson read, wrote correspondence, and performed scientific observations.
-
![A room with small windows, a bed, a cradle and various children's toys]()
EncyclopediaChildren's Nursery
The second-floor Nursery at Monticello was a bedroom and caregiving space for a number of Jefferson's grandchildren.
-
![]()
EncyclopediaCisterns
Jefferson had four cisterns installed at Monticello to collect rainwater and alleviate ongoing issues with supplying water to his mountaintop home.
-
![A photo from inside Monticello's greenhouse portico looking out into a lourve-enclosed space that can be adjusted to provide differing amounts of air, light, and shade for the occupant.]()
EncyclopediaCooling Monticello
Find out about the clever and ingenious methods Thomas Jefferson used to cool and ventilate Monticello.
-
![Monticello West Front]()
EncyclopediaCost of Monticello
The true cost of building Monticello has never been calculated. Jefferson's own records offer some clues, but variables like enslaved labor and bartered materials make a definitive figure impossible to determine.
-
![A door leads down to an attic space with a semicircular window and a set of old furniture]()
EncyclopediaCuddy
Jefferson's granddaughters claimed this tucked-away attic space beside the Dome Room as their own private retreat, nicknaming it the "Cuddy" after a small nook found on a ship.
-
![]()
David Watson
David Watson was a hired white house joiner who worked at Monticello in the 1780s and 1790s.
-
![A view of Monticello's brightly lit, yellow-painted Dining Room with a table set for dinner in the center and a tall, three pane window to the right.]()
EncyclopediaDining Room
An overview of Monticello's Dining Room where Thomas Jefferson entertained guests with lively conversation, wine, and food served in "half French, half Virginian style."
-
![Monticello's Dome Room with its skylight, large circular windows, yellow walls, and green flooring.]()
EncyclopediaDome Room
Learn more about the design and history of Monticello's iconic third-floor Dome Room.
-
![A view into Monticello's Tea Room with two sets of small tables and chairs and a dumbwaiter below a bust of Benjamin Franklin.]()
EncyclopediaDumbwaiters
Find out why -- and how -- dumbwaiters, which Jefferson saw in Paris, were used in Monticello's Dining Room.
-
![A digital rendering of the first Monticello, a two-story neoclassical building with brick masonry and a double portico constructed of wood.]()
EncyclopediaFirst Monticello
The "First Monticello" (sometimes called "Monticello I), refers to the house as it existed during the period extending roughly from 1770 to 1796.
-
![]()
StoryFirst Photographs?
An annual edition of the Magazine of Albemarle County History had some special visual goodies.
-
![]()
EncyclopediaFish Ponds at Monticello
The fish ponds at Monticello served as practical and convenient resources for storing live fish for Jefferson's table.
-
![The front of Monticello's Textile Shop, a white stone building with a door, two rectangular window, and triangular pediment with semicircular window in its middle.]()
EncyclopediaFree Workmen
A complete list of more than 100 free workmen employed at Monticello during Jefferson's ownership, including their trades — from masons and carpenters to gardeners and millers — and years of service.
-
![Weathervane on the roof of Monticello]()
EncyclopediaGongs
Jefferson specially imported Chinese gongs to serve as bells at Monticello — one was used to sound the hours on the Great Clock, and its distinctive tone could be heard across the farm.
-
![This small bedroom features a bed, a carpet, various pieces of furniture, and a low window typical of Monticello's second floor.]()
EncyclopediaGranddaughters' Room
A second floor bedroom occupied at different times by several of Jefferson's granddaughters.
