06-09 Monticello

From 06-09 Monticello

Saturday was a beautiful mostly sunny day so we set off for Monticello. We arrived about 12:30 after stopping for lunch at the Michie Tavern. We should have arrived at 9am so we could have had more time. If you have not been to Monticello, by all means go – and allow a full day.

I previously mentioned that we had searched Friday for the a Visitor Center and Jefferson Museum. It turns out it has just been relocated to the grounds of Monticello. I think it has only been opened a few months. It is fantastic and we plan to go back because we did not nearly finish reading all the exhibits.

From 06-09 Monticello

You have to sign up for a set time to visit the house. Ours was at 2:20 and lasted about an hour. Regretfully we could not take pictures inside. Jefferson was such a brilliant man and interested in so many diverse things. The front foyer is full of reproductions of Indian artifacts, many brought back by Lewis and Clark. His bedroom and study were full of scientific instruments and books. He had a huge library that eventually was sold to the Library of Congress. Jefferson was not brilliant with money. He was in debt much of his life. So much so that all his possessions and the house had to be sold after his death. Two families owned it. The first only briefly, and then a Mr Levy,a great admirer of Jefferson, bought it and kept it in his family until it was ultimately bought by the foundation that now operates it.

The museum explained how Jefferson designed and redesigned every detail even down to the drawings for individual window curtains. It was helpful once in the house to see all the details that had been explained in the museum.

The outside grounds are beautiful. We also took the garden tour and this was as interesting as the house tour. Jefferson was a great collector of flowers, trees, and garden plants.

He had a long terrace built for his vegetable garden. It took his slaves two years to build the rock retaining wall and haul in the dirt.

From 06-09 Monticello

He grew a specific type of Crab Apple to produce his cider. He insisted that each apple (about 10.000) be inspected and any blemish cut out before making the cider.

From 06-09 Monticello

He attempted to grow grapes for wine but had poor results. Today however they do grow and produce their own wine at Monticello.

He had beautiful flowers all along the walk that enclosed the large lawn.

From 06-09 Monticello

From 06-09 Monticello

From 06-09 Monticello

From 06-09 Monticello

One interesting thing the docent explained was Jefferson’s design for gathering the water used for the flowers and garden. There are four huge cisterns under the lawn – 2 on either side. Rain was channeled down from the roof to the cisterns. Likewise there were two huge decks on either of the house that ran along a portion of the lawn.

From 06-09 Monticello

These were also used to capture rain and channel it to the cisterns. Below these decks were the stables, kitchen, privies, wine cellar and other work rooms.

Near the gardens was another work area called Mulberry row because it was separated from the house and lawn by a row of mulberry trees. A few times a year, craftsmen come from Williamsburg on weekends to demonstrate different crafts. Luckily for us, this was one of the weekends.

We saw a basket weaver

From 06-09 Monticello

a blacksmith who is making nails. Jefferson had a nail making operation to supply his own needs and to sell in the community to raise cash.

From 06-09 Monticello

a joiner (a woodworker who made doors, windows, and decorative finish work such as cornices and mantels, balustrades and railing. Most also made cabinets, and one especially talented slave at Monticello, John Hemmings, also made furniture)

From 06-09 Monticello

a cooper making water buckets.

From 06-09 Monticello

There is so much to see and learn at Monticello. I hope we come back again on another trip.

From 06-09 Monticello