Monticello
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)
Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
Nearest city:	Charlottesville, VA
Coordinates:	38°0.5′″, -78°-27.2′″
Built/Founded:	1772
Architect:	Thomas Jefferson
Architectural style(s):	Neoclassical
Added to NRHP:	October 15, 1966
Governing body:	Private
Monticello Monticello in Virginia

Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	United States of America
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iv, vi
Reference	442
Region†	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1987  (11th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

Monticello (pronounced /mɒntɪˈtʃɛloʊ/), located near Charlottesville, Virginia, was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, the third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Charlottesville is an Independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century both as a reaction against the Rococo The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The University of Virginia (also called UVa, UVA, Mr Jefferson's University, or The University) is a highly selective public research A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Charlottesville is an Independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776 announcing that the thirteen American colonies then The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The University of Virginia (also called UVa, UVA, Mr Jefferson's University, or The University) is a highly selective public research The house is of Jefferson's own design and is situated on the summit of an 850-foot-high peak in the Southwest Mountains south of the Rivanna Gap. The Southwest Mountains of Virginia are a range parallel to and geologically associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains, which lie about 30 miles ( 50 km Monticello is Italian for "little mountain. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. "

An image of the west front of Monticello was featured on the reverse of the 5 cent coin of the United States of America coined from 1938 to 2003 (the image returns to the reverse on the 2006 coin design) and on the reverse of the United States of America two dollar bill that was printed from 1928 to 1966. The United States five- cent Coin, commonly called a nickel, is a unit of Currency equaling one-twentieth or five hundredths of a The United States two-dollar bill ($2 is a current denomination of U

Monticello was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987, an honor it shares with the nearby University of Virginia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

History

Work began on Monticello in 1768, and Jefferson moved into the South Pavilion (an outbuilding) in 1770. The original design was based on the classical style of Palladian architecture. The term Classical architecture has a specific Archaeological meaning relating to the architecture of Classical Greece PLEASE DO NOT ADD AN INFO BOX TO THIS PAGE --> Palladian architecture is a European style of Architecture derived from the designs of the Italian When Jefferson left Monticello in 1784 for extended travels in Europe, the original design of the house was largely completed except for porticos and decorative interior woodwork. Upon his return, Jefferson expanded his vision for Monticello to incorporate features of Palladian buildings and ruins he admired overseas. PLEASE DO NOT ADD AN INFO BOX TO THIS PAGE --> Palladian architecture is a European style of Architecture derived from the designs of the Italian Further work to the new design began in 1796. Construction of Monticello was substantially completed in 1809 with the erection of the dome.

Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 and Monticello was inherited by his eldest daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples For the game see 1826 (board game. Year 1826 ( MDCCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display Martha Washington Jefferson Randolph ( September 27, 1772 &ndash October 10, 1836) was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson, the Financial difficulties led to Martha selling Monticello to James T. Barclay, a local apothecary, in 1831. Year 1831 ( MDCCCXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Barclay sold it in 1834 to Uriah P. Levy, the first Jewish American to serve an entire career as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy. Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Uriah Phillips Levy ( April 22, 1792 – March 26, 1862) was the first Jewish Commodore of the United States Navy American Jews, or Jewish Americans Levy greatly admired Jefferson. During the Civil War, the house was seized by the Confederate government and sold, though Uriah Levy's estate (he died in 1862) recovered it after the war. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861

Lawsuits filed by Levy's heirs were settled in 1879, when Uriah Levy's nephew, Jefferson Monroe Levy, a prominent New York lawyer, real estate and stock speculator and member of Congress, bought out the other heirs and took control of the property. Jefferson Monroe Levy ( April 16 1852 - March 6 1924) was a three-term U Jefferson Levy, like his uncle, repaired, restored and preserved Monticello, which was deteriorating seriously while the lawsuits wended their way through the courts in New York and Virginia.

A private, nonprofit organization — the Thomas Jefferson Foundation — purchased the house from Jefferson Levy in 1923 and it was restored by architects that included Fiske Kimball and Milton L. Grigg. Milton Grigg was a Virginia architect best known for his restoration work at Colonial Williamsburg and Monticello. Monticello is now operated as a museum and educational institution. Visitors can view rooms in the cellar and ground floor, but the 2nd and 3rd floors are not open to the general public. Monticello is the only private home in the United States of America that has been designated a World Heritage Site. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex From 1989 to 1992, a team of architects from the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) painstakingly created a collection of measured drawings of Monticello. The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS Historic American Engineering Record (HAER and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS are programs of the These drawings are now kept at the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress The World Heritage Site designation also includes the original grounds of Jefferson's University of Virginia. The University of Virginia (also called UVa, UVA, Mr Jefferson's University, or The University) is a highly selective public research

Among Jefferson's other designs are his other home near Lynchburg called Poplar Forest and the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond. Lynchburg is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Poplar Forest was Thomas Jefferson 's Plantation and Plantation house in what is now Forest Virginia, near historic Lynchburg Virginia The Virginia State Capitol is the seat of state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia located in Richmond, the third State Capital of Virginia. This article is about the city of Richmond the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Monticello depicted on the reverse of the 1953 $2 bill. The United States two-dollar bill ($2 is a current denomination of U Note the two "Levy lions" on either side of the entrance. The lions, placed there by Jefferson Levy, were removed in 1923 when the Thomas Jefferson Foundation purchased the house.

Decoration and furnishings

Much of Monticello's interior decoration reflect the ideas and ideals of Jefferson himself.

The front and main entrance of Monticello. Note the weather vane and clock.

The original main entrance is through the portico on the east front. A portico is a Porch that is leading to the entrance of a building or extended as a Colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway supported by Columns The ceiling of this portico incorporates a wind plate connected to a weather vane, showing the direction of the wind. A large clock face on the external east-facing wall has only an hour hand since Jefferson thought this was accurate enough for outdoor labourers. The clock reflects the time shown on the "Great Clock" (designed by Jefferson) in the entrance hall. The entrance hall contains recreations of items collected by Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition. The floorcloth here is painted a, "true grass green" upon the recommendation of artist Gilbert Stuart in order for Jefferson’s ‘essay in architecture’ to invite the spirit of the outdoors into the house. Gilbert Charles Stuart (born Stewart) (December 3 1755 &ndash July 9 1828 was an American painter from Rhode Island.

The south wing includes Jefferson's private suite of rooms. The library holds many books in Jefferson's third library collection. His first library was burned in a plantation fire, and he 'ceded' (or sold) his second library to the United States Congress to replace the books burned by the British. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses This second library formed the nucleus of the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress As famous and "larger than life" as Monticello seems, the house itself is actually no larger than a typical large home. Jefferson considered much furniture to be a waste of space, so the dining room table was erected only at mealtimes, and beds were built into alcoves cut into thick walls that contain storage space. Jefferson's bed opens to two sides: to his cabinet (study) and to his bedroom (dressing room).

The west front (illustration) gives the impression of a villa of very modest proportions, with a lower floor disguised in the hillside. A villa was originally an Upper-class Country house, though since its origins in Roman times the idea and function of a villa has evolved considerably

The north wing includes the dining room -- which has a dumbwaiter incorporated into the fireplace as well as dumbwaiters (shelved tables on castors) and a pivoting serving door with shelves -- and two guest bedrooms.

Outbuildings and plantation

Jefferson's vegetable garden

The main house was augmented by small outlying pavilions to the north and south. A row of functional buildings (dairy, wash houses, store houses, a small nail factory, a joinery etc. ) and slave dwellings known as Mulberry Row lay nearby to the south. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another A stone weaver's cottage survives, as does the tall chimney of the joinery, and the foundations of other buildings. A cabin on Mulberry Row was, for a time, the home of Sally Hemings; she later moved into a room in the "south dependency" below the main house. On the slope below Mulberry Row Jefferson maintained an extensive vegetable garden.

The house was the center of a plantation of 5,000 acres (20 km²), tended by some 150 slaves.

In 2004, the trustees acquired the only property that overlooks Monticello, the taller mountain that Jefferson called Montalto, but known to Charlottesville residents as Mountaintop Farm, Patterson's or Brown's Mountain. Rushing to stave off development of so-called "McMansions," the trustees spent $15 million to purchase the property, which Jefferson had owned and which had served as a 20th Century residence as farm houses divided into apartments, to many University of Virginia students including George Allen. McMansion is a pejorative Neologism, coined by NY environmentalist Jay The University of Virginia (also called UVa, UVA, Mr Jefferson's University, or The University) is a highly selective public research George Felix Allen (born March 8 1952 is a former Republican United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former The officials at Monticello had long viewed the property located on the mountain as an eyesore, and were very interested in purchasing the property when it came on the market. Many of the residents of the apartments on the top of the mountain were happy that the trustees had purchased the top of the mountain, but were very disappointed that Monticello refused to release them from their leases in the event that they found new residences, forcing them to pay rent on 2 apartments, one resident stated, "I do wish Monticello would be a little more generous. We're suffering in the wake of a very big boat. "^[1] Monticello now charges $13 for adults and $7 for children to visit the top of the mountain and only allows admission to the area from May to October. ^[2] At all other times the top of the mountain is locked and patrolled by security.

There are also two houses included in the whole 5,000 acres.

Miscellaneous

Monticello also appears on the U. S. nickel. The United States five- cent Coin, commonly called a nickel, is a unit of Currency equaling one-twentieth or five hundredths of a Originally designed by Felix Schlag, it was re-introduced in 2006 after two years of Westward Series nickels. Felix Oscar Schlag (December 4 1891 &ndash March 9 1974 was the designer of the United States five cent coin in use from 1938 to 2004

Monticello also appears on the back of the U. S. 2 Dollar bill, before 1976.

A view of Monticello from the gardens

It was featured in Bob Vila's A&E Network production, Guide to Historic Homes of America,^[3] in a tour which included the Dome Room (not open to the public) and Honeymoon Cottage. Robert J "Bob" Vila (born June 20, 1946) is an American Home improvement television show host known for This Old House A&E is a cable and Satellite television network with headquarters in Manhattan and offices in Stamford, Atlanta,

An addition to the Corell Science Complex at University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky is currently being constructed as a replica of Monticello. This institution is unrelated other than by similarity of name to Cumberland University in Lebanon Tennessee or Cumberland School of Law in Williamsburg is a city in and the County seat of Whitley County, Kentucky, United States. ^[4]

Sidney Fiske Kimball, father of the University of Virginia's School of Architecture, one of the prime movers behind the restoration of Monticello, and author of the book "Thomas Jefferson, Architect," used Jefferson's architectural principles to build his own retirement home outside Charlottesville called "Shack Mountain," short for Shackelford Mountain, the surname of a branch of Jefferson's descendants. Built in 1935-1936, Shack Mountain is a Jefferson-style pavilion (like Monticello) that is considered Kimball's masterpiece. ^[5] Kimball himself advised on the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg and Stratford Hall. Colonial Williamsburg' is the historic district of the Independent city of Williamsburg Virginia. Stratford Hall an independent coeducational private school located on the east side of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada opened on September 5 Shack Mountain was nominated as a National Historic Landmark in 1992. ^[6]

See also

• George W. Randolph
• Monticello Association

References

• Leepson, Marc, Saving Monticello: The Levy Family's Epic Quest to Rescue the House that Jefferson Built, University of Virginia Press, 2003, ISBN-8139-2219-4[1][2]

External links

• Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, official site
• Monticello's Shadows, City Journal, Autumn 2007
• World Heritage Nomination
• The Monticello Explorer, an interactive multimedia look at the house
• Thomas Jefferson Wiki
• HABS drawing
• Monticello Association of Jefferson lineal descendants
• "Moving a mountain: How Monticello got Montalto back" — article in The Hook
• Monticello restoration and Milton Grigg
• Tour Experience of Monticello