Monday, November 30, 2009
Monticello
Our next stop in Virginia was Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home. This was one of the most interesting tours of our trip, because it had so much of Thomas Jefferson’s personal character throughout it.
Aside from being the author of our Declaration of Independence and our 3rd President, Jefferson was also an inventor, a brilliant scholar, a dutiful keeper of records, and an enthusiastic farmer. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the house, which is a shame because I’d love to show you some of his original inventions, such as the 7-day weighted clock, a copying machine that would transcribe a duplicate each time he wrote a letter, and the self-closing door.
He would have been a fascinating individual to know, even aside from his patriotic duties and accomplishments. His duty to this country cost him much. He died bankrupt after being forced to pay for the government out of pocket, since there was no federal funding set up at the time. Yet, he still completed the Louisiana Purchase, which devalued his own land (his only asset) as it doubled the size of the country.
Exterior
This little square is the earliest portion of the mansion, and is where the Jeffersons first lived:
Gardens
Jefferson considered himself first and foremost a farmer, and he had the gardens to prove it. He spent his life raising plants in fields and greenhouse, searching for a new species that would be of notable benefit. Evidently, he never found it, but enjoyed the work.
He leveled off a plateau on one side of the estate, where he planted rows and rows of various vegetation, organized by which part of the plant was harvested: roots, leaves, stalk, etc.
That's Jens and his mom Cyndy in the distance:
Trees
There are some pretty cool trees on the property, such as this massive one:
And this gnarly thing:
And this one that used to be pretty dang large:
Burial Site
The Jefferson burial grounds remain private property of his decedents, and are still used today.
Anne Harloe Truscott's was my favorite:
In case you can't read the message to her late husband, it says, "After 52 years of being together, this time, dear, you led and I will follow."
Thomas Jefferson's obelisk covers several of his family members. It is larger than the original obelisk that he designed. I'm not sure what happened to that one.
People throw coins onto his grave. I find that ironic, seeing as he died penniless.
