Monticello

Monticello was begun in 1768 after Thomas Jefferson inherited land from his father in Albemarle County, Virginia. Drawing on the classical ideals of Palladian architecture, Jefferson designed the house himself, blending European influences with his own vision for a distinctly American style. Construction stretched across decades, as Jefferson continually refined and reimagined the design.

The estate reflects Jefferson’s intellectual curiosity and Enlightenment ideals. He expanded and remodeled Monticello after returning from France in the 1780s, introducing neoclassical elements that gave the house its iconic form. Beyond its architecture, Monticello functioned as a plantation, relying on the forced labor of enslaved people who sustained Jefferson’s household and agricultural experiments.

After his presidency, Jefferson lived at Monticello until his death in 1826. The home passed out of his family in the years following, but preservation efforts later saved it as a historic landmark. Today, Monticello is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a place that preserves Jefferson’s architectural legacy while also confronting the intertwined stories of freedom and enslavement that shaped its history.