Issue 15 : May 1, 2002
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Monticello
Home of Thomas Jefferson near Charlottesville, Virginia.
Monticello a view from the west.
About visiting: I was surprised by two things when I visted. First of all the house is sited on the top of a hill with a tremendous view on three sides. The house is magnificent but somehow in my imagination I had thought of it as a larger house. Still it is a great treat to visit.
To tour the site and the house, you park in a lower parking lot, buy your ticket and board a shuttle bus to the top of the hill where the house is situated. There is a gift shop there.
Important note for photographers: At the Visitor Centre at the bottom of the hill where you park, you will see boxes on the walk path with signs stating that your camera bag can be no larger than the size that will fit in the box if you want to go inside the house for the house tour.
You are given a card with a house tour time on it. Depending on how many visitors to the site, you may have to wait anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more. Use this time to walk around the house's exterior and perhaps to walk down to the burial ground where Jefferson's grave and memorial are located. Then return to line up for your house tour at the time on your tme card. It is a good system and seemed to work well.
No photographs are allowed inside the house.
The house tour is carefully controlled so that each group is just large enough to fit inside the rooms of the house. It takes about 35-45 minutes and is restricted to the ground floor of the house.
The entrance hall, dining room, and the hexagonal guest room (sometimes called the Madison room since President Madison visited often) are all fascinating.
Jefferson's library, study and bedroom are a special treat. The bedroom has a skylight. This was the first instance of a skylight in a residential building in the US.
The vineyard is further down the hill and it is possible to purchase Monticello wine in several varieties at the Visitor Centre Gift Shop.
View to the west, fruit trees in bloom.
Side view of the house
Gardens were showing well on April 14, one day after Jefferson's birthday.
Jefferson chose his epitaph: Here was buried Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of Independence of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom and father of the Unveristy of Virginia. No mention of being President of the United States of America.
View from the west edge of the large lawn, shows the two pavillions.
Under the two pavilions and set into the hill top are the domestic rooms such as kitchens, wine cellars, and the stables. The top of the pavillions are wood decked terraces with wonderful views of the surrounding acres.
- William J. Gibson -
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© William Joseph Gibson 2002
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