﻿February, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  63 
  

  

  Monticello 
  

  

  By 
  Waldon 
  Fawcett 
  

  

  HERE 
  is 
  not, 
  in 
  all 
  probability, 
  in 
  the 
  entire 
  

   South 
  a 
  Colonial 
  estate 
  which 
  retains 
  all 
  its 
  

   pristine 
  beauty 
  in 
  greater 
  degree 
  than 
  does 
  

   Monticello, 
  Thomas 
  Jefferson's 
  noble 
  coun- 
  

   try 
  seat 
  in 
  central 
  Virginia, 
  the 
  scene 
  of 
  the 
  

   private 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  author 
  of 
  the 
  Declaration 
  

   of 
  Independence. 
  Aside 
  from 
  its 
  historic 
  

   associations, 
  Monticello 
  is, 
  next 
  to 
  Mount 
  Vernon, 
  the 
  most 
  

   interesting 
  private 
  habitation 
  in 
  America. 
  This 
  classic 
  man- 
  

   sion 
  is 
  well 
  worthy 
  of 
  attention 
  as 
  an 
  architectural 
  master- 
  

   piece, 
  and 
  ranks 
  as 
  the 
  finest 
  remaining 
  example 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  

   Southern-plantation 
  manor-house 
  of 
  the 
  Revolution. 
  

  

  The 
  nucleus 
  of 
  Thomas 
  Jefferson's 
  Virginia 
  estate 
  he 
  

   inherited 
  from 
  his 
  father, 
  the 
  tract 
  comprising 
  one 
  thousand 
  

   nine 
  hundred 
  acres. 
  To 
  this 
  extensive 
  additions 
  were 
  made 
  

   by 
  purchase, 
  and 
  the 
  aggregate 
  acreage 
  was 
  further 
  increased 
  

   by 
  several 
  fine 
  farms 
  that 
  came 
  to 
  Jefferson 
  as 
  his 
  wife's 
  

   dower. 
  During 
  the 
  major 
  portion 
  of 
  Thomas 
  Jefferson's 
  

   period 
  of 
  occupancy 
  the 
  Monticello 
  estate 
  comprised 
  con- 
  

  

  siderably 
  more 
  than 
  five 
  thousand 
  acres, 
  but 
  during 
  most 
  of 
  

   the 
  time 
  only 
  one 
  thousand 
  one 
  hundred 
  acres 
  were 
  farmed. 
  

  

  The 
  estate 
  is 
  located 
  in 
  the 
  broken 
  and 
  picturesque 
  Pied- 
  

   mont 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  Old 
  Dominion, 
  and 
  the 
  manor-house 
  at 
  

   Monticello 
  is 
  a 
  landmark 
  for 
  the 
  entire 
  countryside 
  and 
  the 
  

   nearest 
  town. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  clearly 
  outlined 
  against 
  the 
  

   sky 
  from 
  Charlottesville, 
  three 
  miles 
  away. 
  While 
  yet 
  a 
  

   student 
  Jefferson 
  chose 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  boldest 
  mountains 
  in 
  his 
  

   estate 
  for 
  his 
  permanent 
  home, 
  and 
  on 
  this 
  summit, 
  which 
  

   he 
  named 
  Monticello 
  — 
  the 
  Italian 
  for 
  "little 
  mountain" 
  — 
  he 
  

   cleared 
  and 
  leveled 
  a 
  site 
  of 
  ten 
  acres, 
  upon 
  which 
  he 
  built 
  

   from 
  his 
  own 
  plans 
  the 
  stately 
  and 
  magnificent 
  mansion 
  

   which 
  stands 
  to 
  this 
  day 
  in 
  a 
  perfect 
  state 
  of 
  preservation. 
  

  

  The 
  present-day 
  visitor 
  to 
  Monticello, 
  like 
  the 
  pilgrim 
  

   of 
  a 
  century 
  ago, 
  enters 
  the 
  grounds 
  at 
  the 
  rear, 
  in 
  an 
  open 
  

   native 
  woodland, 
  and 
  a 
  sharp 
  climb 
  is 
  required 
  to 
  reach 
  the 
  

   elevation 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  house 
  is 
  located. 
  Once 
  this 
  eminence 
  

   is 
  attained, 
  however, 
  it 
  is 
  easy 
  to 
  appreciate 
  why 
  Jefferson 
  

   chose 
  this 
  site. 
  The 
  magnificent 
  panorama 
  which 
  lies 
  

  

  East 
  and 
  West, 
  " 
  Monticello 
  " 
  Has 
  a 
  Great 
  Portico 
  

  

  