Who owns Monticello plantation?

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.

Who owned the Monticello plantation?

Monticello (/ˌmɒntɪˈtʃɛloʊ/ MON-tih-CHEL-oh) was the primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26.

Who owned Monticello after Jefferson died?

Uriah Levy: Preserving a Heritage for the Nation

Uriah Levy's first view of Monticello -- eight years after Jefferson's death -- was dismaying. Upon learning that it was for sale, he decided to buy it and preserve it for the nation.

How much is Monticello worth today?

Replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello mansion finally sells at auction for $2.1million - almost $6million less than it cost to build. A Connecticut home that is a replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello has been sold at auction for $2.1 million, far below the $7.7 million it cost to build just two years ago.

Who was Monticello sold to?

Jefferson Levy ultimately gave in to public pressure and, after Congress rejected his asking price of $500,000, sold Monticello to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation in 1923.

Behind the Scenes: Monticello's 2nd and 3rd Floors

Was Monticello slaves built?

*The construction of the Monticello Plantation is affirmed on this date in 1772. This is one of the estimated 46,200 American plantations that existed in 1860. Located just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, in the Piedmont region, the plantation was originally 5,000 acres and built using slave labor.

When did Jefferson inherit Monticello?

Above all else, Monticello and the quarter farms of Shadwell, Tufton, and Lego were plantations, growing cash crops cultivated by enslaved workers to support Jefferson and his family. When Jefferson inherited the property in the 1760s, the primary cash crop was tobacco.

How many acres is the Monticello plantation?

Find out about the 5,000-acre Monticello plantation that was home to both the Jefferson family and an extended community of workers that some years included up to 130 enslaved individuals.

Can you walk around Monticello for free?

It all takes time, and Monticello is a busy site. Show up late and you may end up waiting several hours for the next available house tour, although you're free to walk the grounds around the house.

How many rooms does Monticello have in the entire structure?

Jefferson began drawing up plans for altering and enlarging Monticello in 1793, and work began in 1796. Much of the original house was torn down. The final structure, completed in 1809, is a three-story brick and frame building with 35 rooms, 12 of them in the basement; each room is a different shape.

How many slaves did Jefferson own?

Despite working tirelessly to establish a new nation founded upon principles of freedom and egalitarianism, Jefferson owned over 600 enslaved people during his lifetime, the most of any U.S. president.

How many slaves lived on the Monticello plantation?

Thomas Jefferson enslaved over 600 human beings throughout the course of his life. 400 people were enslaved at Monticello; the other 200 people were held in bondage on Jefferson's other properties. At any given time, around 130 people were enslaved at Monticello.

Why is Monticello on the nickel?

He's been on the nickel since 1938, although the current portrait dates to 2006. The building on the reverse (tails) is called “Monticello.” Monticello was Jefferson's home in Virginia, which he designed himself. It has been on the nickel since 1938, except for a brief period in 2004 and 2005.

Why did Jefferson not free his slaves?

Mr. Turner states, "The reason Jefferson did not free but five of his own slaves in his will was simple: Under Virginia law at the time, slaves were considered 'property,' and they were expressly subject to the claims of creditors. Jefferson died deeply in debt."

Is the Monticello plantation on the nickel?

Thomas Jefferson's plantation, Monticello, is on the back of the U.S. nickel, and you can visit it in real life, too. Monticello is UNESCO world heritage listed and was the primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson.

Why did Jefferson name it Monticello?

Since Monticello means "hillock" or "little mountain" in Italian, there is a logical explanation for Jefferson's choice. Jefferson may have just translated the names of the two mountains as they appeared in the Albemarle County Deed Books — Little Mountain and High Mountain — into Italian.

Can you take pictures inside Monticello?

Non-flash photography or videography for personal, educational and non-commercial use is permitted on the property inside and outside the house.

Is visiting Monticello worth it?

Monticello is a big, beautiful, thought-provoking place. Leave time to explore it. Most guests spend about 3.5 hours. Tours of the main house are a highlight of any visit to Monticello.

Is the behind the scenes tour of Monticello worth it?

We took the Behind the Scenes Tour and Day Pass, and are very glad we chose this tour. Only in this tour do you get to go upstairs at Monticello, including into the Dome Room. Honestly, I can't imagine NOT taking this tour, if you take the time to go to Monticello.

What was Mulberry Row at Monticello?

Mulberry Row was the dynamic, industrial hub of Jefferson's 5,000-acre agricultural enterprise. As the principal plantation street, it was the center of work and domestic life for dozens of people — free whites, free blacks, indentured servants, and enslaved people.

Did Thomas Jefferson have his own Bible?

Thomas Jefferson was known as an inventor and tinkerer. But this time he was tinkering with something held sacred by hundreds of millions of people: the Bible. Using his clippings, the aging third president created a New Testament of his own—one that most Christians would hardly recognize.

Who is buried in Monticello graveyard?

Its base covers the graves of Jefferson, his wife, his two daughters, and Governor Thomas Mann Randolph, his son in-law. The Graveyard is owned by the Jefferson descendants of the Monticello Association, who limit burial in the cemetery to lineal descendants of Thomas Jefferson.

Did Jefferson pay his slaves?

Did Jefferson pay any of his enslaved laborers? Some enslaved people received small amounts of money, but that was the exception not the rule. The vast majority of labor was unpaid.

What did Thomas Jefferson do with his slaves after he died?

Jefferson freed two of his slaves while he lived; seven others were freed after his death. Jefferson consistently spoke out against the international slave trade and outlawed it while he was president.

What happened to the slaves at Monticello?

Two were freed during Jefferson's lifetime and five were freed by the terms of Jefferson's will. All seven were skilled tradesmen, ideally capable of finding employment as freed men. During Jefferson's lifetime, three enslaved members of the Hemings family were allowed to leave Monticello without pursuit.