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James Madison’s Montpelier was the home of James Madison, 4th President of the United States. The grounds of his famous residence are located near Orange, Virginia about 45 minutes northeast of Charlottesville. Although route 20 gets you there quicker, I found that taking the 22/231 up through Gordonsville is a much prettier drive. That route (or “rowte” as they say in VA!) is a lush road (or “reywd”) that meanders through impressively manicured farms, a very pleasing journey for the eyes.
James Madison’s Montpelier was built in 1764 by James’ father James Madison, Sr and at one time consisted of over 5,000 acres. I visited Montpelier on the 4th of July, 2018. As no photographs are allowed inside the residence, here are 15 beautiful photos of the building and grounds. Enjoy!
FACT: James Madison’s Montpelier is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.
FACT: James Madison was the ‘young gun’ of the Constitutional Convention; just in his early 30s he contributed much to the core ideals of the United States. His incessant notes became the historical record of those meetings.
FACT: Both James Madison and Alexander Hamilton worked tirelessly to support efforts for the fledgling USA to pay off its debts in the early 1780s and 90s.
FACT: James Madison was a ardent and fiery contributor to The Federalist Papers.
FACT: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison maintained a very close relationship throughout their lives, each one visiting the other’s residence. Jefferson’s Monticello is about 30 miles south of Montpelier.
FACT: The interior of James Madison’s Montpelier has been painstakingly restored over many years to match the original state of the house as the Madisons would have lived in it. The tour is air-conditioned and is more of a warm and personal tour than the Monticello property, in my opinion.
SOURCE: James Madison: A Life Reconsidered by Lynne Cheney.
WEBSITE: Visit the official Montpelier homepage!
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