Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s plantation near Charlottesville, Va., was the center of his world. To understand Jefferson, one must understand Monticello; it can be seen as his autobiographical statement.For almost 100 years, Monticello has been maintained and kept open to the public by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., which owns over 2,500 acres of Jefferson's 5,000-acre plantation. As a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation, the Foundation receives no ongoing federal, state, or local funding in support of its dual mission of preservation and education.
Monticello encompassed a house, an ornamental landscape, a farm, a plantation, a small mountain, and a large and diverse community. It encapsulated the interests, talents, ideals, ambitions, and realities of its creative and complex owner.
In 1923, Monticello was purchased by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, a private nonprofit corporation and was opened as a public attraction in 1924. Since then, the Foundation has instituted numerous research and educational programs and major restoration and renovation projects, and Monticello has attracted more than 27 million people.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Monticello is owned and operated by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., which was founded in 1923. As a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation, the Foundation receives no ongoing federal, state, or local funding in support of its dual mission of preservation and education.During its existence, the Foundation has steadily expanded Monticello’s functions and holdings. Its stewardship now includes approximately 2,500 of Jefferson’s 5,000 acres, of which more than 1,400 are held under protective easements. The 2004 purchase of Montalto, the neighboring mountain that rises 400 feet above Monticello, represents the Foundation’s most significant land acquisition. In addition to the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center and Carl and Hunter Smith Education Center, large capital projects have included the Jefferson Library and the Saunders-Monticello Trail, both of which were dedicated in 2002.
Restoration Projects
The Foundation’s major restoration projects in recent years have included restoring and replacing Jefferson’s roof system on the house; installing a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system; placing new, historically accurate roofing on the South Pavilion; installing Jefferson-era louvered Venetian enclosures on the South Piazza; restoring the North Cellar Passage; and renovating and refurnishing the Cook’s Room, Beer Cellar, Kitchen, and Wine Cellar. Recently, the Foundation completed the Mountaintop Project, a multi-year effort to restore Monticello as Jefferson knew it, and to tell the stories of the people—enslaved and free—who lived and worked on the 5,000-acre plantation.Educational Initiatives
Monticello’s multidisciplinary educational initiatives are conducted through the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies. Founded in 1994 to foster Jefferson scholarship and widely disseminate findings, the Smith ICJS embraces Monticello’s archaeology, education, publications, and research departments; the 15,500-squarefoot Jefferson Library; and the editorial operations of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, a published compilation of Jefferson’s written legacy from 1809 to his death in 1826. the Center conducts international scholarly conferences, lectures, informal talks, panel discussions, teacher workshops, curriculum-based tours, and other programs for students and educators, and offers long- and short-term residential fellowships for researchers and scholars. the Smith ICJS is based at the nearby Kenwood proper.Plant Varieties
Monticello’s Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, established in 1987, collects, preserves, and distributes historic plant varieties and strives to promote greater appreciation for the origins and evolution of garden plants. The program centers on Jefferson’s horticultural interests and the plants he grew at Monticello, but also covers the broad history of plants cultivated in America by including varieties documented through the 19th century and choice North American plants. the CHP is located at nearby Tufton Farm.The Saunders-Monticello Trail
A linear park along Route 53, serves as a scenic entrance corridor to Monticello and as a recreational and education resource for visitors and local residents. The parkway features Kemper Park, an 89-acre expanse with an arboretum, pond, woodland theater, and overlook; Saunders-Monticello Trail, a 2.2-mile pathway linking Kemper Park and the grounds of Monticello; and Saunders Bridge, a stone-arch span at the entrance to Monticello. The Trail is open to the public free of charge every day.Monticello’s website
www.monticello.org provides convenient access to a wealth of information about Monticello, Jefferson, his family, and his times; visitor information; event and program listings; ticket reservations; online shopping; and links to hundreds of resources. the site, launched in 1996, attracts more than a million unique visitors each year. Among its most popular sections are the Webby Award-winning Monticello Explorer, a multimedia feature that offers an array of innovative ways to experience Jefferson’s house and plantation; the Monticello Classroom, a source of reports, activities, and other materials for students and teachers in grades 3 through 8; and the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia, a compendium of more than 1,000 articles on all things Jefferson.Mission
Today, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation remains committed to a twofold mission:
Thomas Jefferson FoundationMission
- Preservation To conserve, protect, and maintain Monticello in a manner which leaves it enhanced and unimpaired for future generations
- EducationTo interpret and present Thomas Jefferson to the widest possible audiences, including scholars and the general public.
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark, an international Site of Conscience, and the only presidential house in the United States designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Thomas Jefferson FoundationVisionThe Thomas Jefferson Foundation seeks to bring history forward into national and global dialogues.
The Foundation seeks to facilitate conversations and to use its extensive research and knowledge to stimulate interactions on a variety of topics that were of keen interest to Jefferson, the most powerful of which are liberty and self government. Through virtual, off-site and on-site engagement, the Foundation seeks to excite the world about Jefferson’s relevance today and ignite a passion for history.
