| Charlottesville, Virginia is the home of Thomas | | | | Five two-story buildings housing the staff on the |
| Jefferson at Montecello and the University of | | | | upper floor and classrooms on the lower floor |
| Virginia. Nearby are the homes of James Madison | | | | flank this. Between each of these buildings are |
| and James Monroe. | | | | students quarters, about twelve by twelve |
| Montecello is the home of Thomas Jefferson. In | | | | consisting of a bed, desk and chair. The |
| comparison with Mount Vernon, it wins hands | | | | necessaries are out back. All of these buildings are |
| down. The entire plantation reflects the genius of | | | | used today, the student quarters going to the |
| the man. He moved there with his wife and | | | | fourth year students based on their |
| children into a one-room building with a kitchen | | | | achievements. |
| beneath the living quarters, while the manor house | | | | The rotunda is especially beautiful. There are no |
| was being constructed. The home, when | | | | rectangular rooms in the entire building. All the |
| completed, had many of the latest innovations | | | | rooms on the first two floors are oval in shape. |
| available in those days. | | | | On the third floor is the dome room with an iris |
| His gardens are also quite remarkable. His | | | | skylight. During the day the room acted as the |
| vegetable garden was over 1,000 feet in length. | | | | library with recessed bookcases in the alcoves. By |
| He grew many varieties of vegetables from | | | | night, the tables were moved and the space could |
| present-day heritage seeds, which his family | | | | be used for social events. Thomas Jefferson |
| needed. In many respects it was an experimental | | | | loved to sit at one of the windows and look at his |
| garden in which he tried to develop new strains of | | | | beloved Montecello, a few miles away. Today a |
| vegetables. He had a fruit orchard and an arboreal | | | | building obstructs the view, but demolition of it is |
| garden, importing different species of trees. Finally | | | | scheduled in a couple of years, restoring the view. |
| his informal garden was set up on the British type | | | | One final trip to Charlottesville. This time we |
| of garden. Today the same species plants are | | | | stopped at the VC near Montecello. We watched |
| grown according to his plan 200 years ago. | | | | the thirty-five minute movie about TJ and his |
| Went to Montpelier, James Madison's estate. In | | | | importance in world history. The VC also contains |
| 2005 the residence was being restored to its | | | | an extensive museum, holding many of the |
| original design. The duPonts, who had recently | | | | artifacts found on Montecello. |
| owned the property, made many changes to the | | | | Drove the short distance to Ash Lawn-Highland, |
| house and to the grounds, including a steeplechase | | | | the farm home of James Monroe. Even though |
| and a flat track. Thomas Jefferson was a | | | | this was his home for more than twenty-five |
| frequent guest at the estate. Madison was the | | | | years, he spent little time there, because of his |
| consummate farmer, while Jefferson put his two | | | | service to our country. TJ was his mentor and |
| cents into some of the architectural renovations | | | | picked the property for Monroe to build his house. |
| Madison included in the house. | | | | Conveniently, you can look out the back door, |
| Went back to Charlottesville to see the University | | | | through the gardens and see Montecello just a |
| of Virginia, the institution that Thomas Jefferson | | | | couple of miles away. A bit of trivia. In the |
| envisioned and built. Being there is quite an | | | | famous painting of Washington crossing the |
| experience. The original campus consisted of the | | | | Delaware, the man holding the American flag is |
| Rotunda, modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. | | | | James Monroe. |