Sleightholm Folk Art

This President’s Day I’d like to take you back a bit, to a beautiful autumn day on President Jefferson’s “Little Mountain”. For years I have read about Monticello– especially it’s garden- and when the chance to Virginia came my way, it was on my list of places to visit. I’d like to take you along with me to ramble through Jefferson’s beautiful home as the first post in a series called “Adventures in Colonial America.” So grab an autumn cardigan, and come along with me and my friends on a historical adventure…

It was an early November day when my friends and I made our way from Williamsburg to Charlottesville to visit Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was a brilliant man of his time; a philosopher and statesman, a colonial Governor and a President, a gardener and musician, the writer of the Declaration of Independence and a slave owner. He was a man of unique and complicated character and ideals who is as interesting now as he was 250 years ago.

The day we visited Monticello was one of autumnal perfection. Jefferson’s mountain was aglow with autumn foliage and my first glimpse of his home was through the brilliant trees- just as seen above.

My friends and I decided to splurge on the “Behind the Scenes tour”, which takes you in the backways and up narrow staircases to see parts of the house previously unavailable to tourists. And because we all love history and wanted to see all the things, we went for the all-out deluxe tour. It was worth it!

When you first enter Monticello you enter into a central entryway decorated with many original and reproduction pieces brought back to Jefferson by Lewis & Clark on their famous expedition to explore the west after the Louisiana Purchase. The story of Lewis & Clark is one that has fascinated me for many years (What a fun road trip that would be, to retrace their route!) and I loved seeing pieces from that era in Monticello.

Our guide was wonderful, very laid back and knowledgeable. He asked us to notice what was missing from the entry- there is no grand staircase. Jefferson considered them a waste of space! The stairs are hidden away, completely utilitarian; what Jefferson was interested in was beautiful rooms complimenting gorgeous views outside. This home was also full of ingenious inventions- including a dumbwaiter for wine in the side of his fireplace in his butteriest yellow of dining rooms.

Jefferson loved to entertain and he loved to eat (and drink) well. Right off the yellow dining room is the ‘tea room’ where you can see his small table and chair set for an elegant tea (presumably not the stuff tossed in the harbor!) So much of the decor of Monticello revolves around Jefferson’s passions and interests.

“Mr. Jefferson is the first American who has consulted the fine arts to know how he should shelter himself,” is a quote from the Marquis de Chastellux, a French Major General who helped the Americans defeat the English at Yorktown. Indeed, Jefferson’s interest in classical form and function, his passion for nature and music, his interests in inventing and appreciation for architecture had him building up and tearing down Monticello for years, always striving to make it more interesting and more beautiful Monticello was like a piece of art that could be lived in, but one that was built and run day-to-day by people that Jefferson owned.

Outside the home we were able to walk across the lawn to the kitchen garden, which I was so excited about. Jefferson was a keen botanist and loved to experiment with plants. The kitchen garden was also where the majority of the food grown for Monticello came from. Tucked against the side of the mountain on a terraced shelf, the garden offered a beautiful view of the autumn countryside.

Down the garden path was also “Mulberry Row”, where the enslaved people of Monticello lived and worked. The reproduction dwellings found there are so simple and rustic compared with the elegance of Monticello. However, the stories of those who lived there on the mountain as property are now an integral part of the story, and there is a special tour you can take called “From Slavery to Freedom”, which focuses on the life of those enslaved at Monticello.

After our tour of Monticello, we took a shuttle back down the mountain to the Visitor’s Center, but we were able to stop for a moment at Jefferon’s grave.

On the grave marker it reads:

Here was buried
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of American Independence
of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom
& Father of the University of Virginia

Of all his accomplishments, these were the things he was most proud of. What an amazing life, legacy and home he created.

At the bottom of the mountain, my friends and I explored the small museum there with many interesting artifacts and (of course!) the awesome giftshop.

Visiting Monticello was the completion of a dream I’ve had for many years, and I’m so glad I got to go there on such a beautiful day with some of my best friends.

I hope you’ve enjoyed a bit of this adventure too, and that you come back for more Adventures in Colonial Virginia!

Til then-

Take Joy!
H