The morning after a full day in Washington DC, we packed up the van to drive to our next hotel in Charlottesville.
But first, we were going to spend some time at Montpelier.
En route we drove through the rolling hills of Virginia while we drove past several Civil War Battlefields: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania.
As we drove by the now empty fields with lonely cannons, I told the kids to imagine the battles…
The rolling hills deepened to the entrance of Montpelier, home of the Father of the Constitution, author of the Federalist Papers and Bill of Rights, and our fourth president, James Madison.
Undergoing renovations for the last few years, Montpelier will open to the public through their grand Restoration Celebration on Sept 17, the anniversary of the Constitution.
If Walls Could Talk at Montpelier
Our excellent tour guide gave us lots of fascinating information on the restoration process, as if it was like an HGTV’s “If Walls Could Talk.”
After the Madisons passed away, the house and furnishings were sold at auction.
In 1901, the famous DuPont family purchased Montpelier from the fifth owner since Madison.
Although one/some of the previous owners had made some renovations to the home, the DuPonts added their own style.
Extensive renovations included doubling the size of the house, with new floors and wings.
Chandeliers, mirrors, and furniture arrived from England to decorate the home.
Infamously the outside was painted pink!
Conveniently Mr. DuPont built a depot at the foot of the property near the tracks, arranging for the train to stop just for him to travel for business in Delaware and back.
In the 1980s, the DuPonts bequeathed the property to the National Historic Trust.
In 2003, the Montpelier Foundation began a $25 million restoration to the 1820s, the retirement years after James Madison’s presidency.
During demolition, additions were demolished, then stucco removal revealed the original bricks.
As more layers were removed, either more original structures were found, or major clues were found to help them replace the old.
When newspaper advertisements requested neighbors look for any artifacts from the home that might have been purchased and stored away, neighbors found mantle pieces and more, original to Montpelier, in their attics and barns.
Advertisements reached the world, resulting in paintings and furnishings from nearby and abroad returned to Montpelier.
So many originals were found that comparatively little reconstruction was needed.
James Madison, himself, was no stranger to remodeling, as he had enlarged his home (and former boyhood home), using design ideas from his good friend, Thomas Jefferson, another who liked to remodel homes.
Views from Montpelier
The views from the house were stunning: a protected forest in the back and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the front.
The side yards are landscaped in a typical manner of a mansion, beautiful tall trees.
Lafayette Visited Montpelier
The Marquis de Lafayette visited the Madisons here on his Grand Tour in 1824.
In the museum are giant placards representing life-sized cardboard figures of James and Dolley Madison, the Marquis de Lafayette and his son, George Washington Lafayette, recreating a special dinner given in the Marquis’ honor when he visited on his Grand Tour in 1824.
Knowing how much the Madisons enjoyed plants, the Marquis gave them three Cedar of Lebanon seedlings, which all survive to this day!
When the tour guide told us about this, my son pointed out to him that those trees were used to build Solomon’s Temple.
The tour guide was surprised to hear that from him. From then on the tour guide relied on my son to answer all of his questions!
Archaeology at Montpelier harming the Trees
Sadly, these beautiful trees are suffering, because archaeological digs are disturbing the sensitive root structure.
The Montpelier Foundation is trying to work with the archaeologists to resolve this problem.
One of the most amazing items recovered in one of the archaeological digs was a piece of china from Marie Antoinette, which James Monroe apparently brought it back from Paris with him.
James and Dolly Madison Gravesite
Garden Tour
After lunch we took a tour of the pleasure garden behind the house. Named the Annie DuPont Garden, the DuPont’s turned the old Madison garden into an early 20th century garden.
When we saw the ha-ha wall at Montpelier a tourist asked why it was called a haha wall and the tour guide didn’t know…so my kids told her what they had learned at Mount Vernon!
Madison Temple at Montpelier
One of my favorite places was the Madison Temple, where James Madison often came in the summer time to sit, study, and write.
Underneath this lovely feature is the ice house.
Forest at Montpelier
James Madison did not like seeing all the development going on and the trees being chopped down, so he left the forest behind his house untouched, which the Madison Foundation continues that tradition today.
However thunder and lightning prevented our hike through the forest when a storm blew in for the rest of the afternoon.
One of my son’s favorite things to do was to play in the children’s tent where he could whack away at wood with old fashioned tools.
To see more photos from this trip, click on any of the pictures or click here to access my Flickr set.
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