Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's Home was much more than I imagined. It took 40 years to build. The original house had only 7 rooms. After Jefferson returned from France, he rebuilt it to the house it is today. His wife died before it was completed. They had six children, 2 survived, Martha and Mary.
It's a shame that I couldn't take photos inside the house, but I will try to describe some of the more interesting features.
When you look at the exterior of the house, it appears that there is only one story, but in fact there are four levels. The main level windows have the green shutters. The second level rooms have windows that are level with the floor. The top level rooms have skylights. And the basement level windows are visible behind the bushes.
This is view of the back of the house with the dome room.
When you enter the house from the front there is a large foyer. You can see a balcony for the second floor, but no staircase. The staircases are tucked into interior corners on both sides the house.
The foyer has artifacts from the American Indians that were presented to Lewis and Clark on their expedition across the country seeking the northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean. There are bones from a wooly mammoth and heads and antlers from animals. Some of the original green tile is visible under the side tables, the rest of the floor is covered with sheets of green vinyl to protect the floor. On the ceiling is the original chandelier mounted from a plaster eagle with 13 stars.
The most interesting item in the foyer is the clock over the door. It had the normal hour and minute hands and then a small second hand below the 12 position. The counter weights are large balls that are suspended from a rope in the right corner of the foyer when you face the door. Written on the wall are the days of the week. As the days pass the balls retracted up the wall. So you could always tell the day of the week and the time. Jefferson would wind the clock every Sunday.
The room to the left of the foyer was an office that Jefferson's daughter used to run the household. His wife died and his daughter ran the house. The next room over was the library. All the shelves were built to be moveable so Jefferson could move his books as he wanted to his other residences. He had the shutters built on the inside with the hope of keeping the cold out. In his office he had a polygraph machine that would mechanically scribe a copy of a letter as he was writing - the first copy machine! They have hundreds of his letters.
He was 6 foot 2 and a half inches and had a bed that was 6'3". His bedroom was next to his office. He slept sitting up because of his indigestion. Probably due to the 40 some dishes that were served at dinner each evening.
The french doors in the house were designed so that when you closed one door the other would follow. And when you closed one of the sliding doors the other would follow too. The mechanics for both type of doors were driven with a bicycle chain under the floor boards.
In the dining room there was a conveyor that would deliver wine bottles up from the basement by pulleys. The dining room tables folded up so they could be put aside to allow more room when they were not needed.
The plantation includes a working farm and the food grown there supplies the restaurant open to there public.
It's ironic that the man who wrote the Constitution and penned, "All men are created equal" was a slave owner. Who would not have been able to support his household without the sweat equity of hundred of slaves. Who valued the slave women more than the men because they could produce more slaves. And who fathered slaves himself.
I'm glad I went and experienced Monticello. It's important to look at all sides of our history. Even when we feel uncomfortable.
Thank you my new friend VeShanna for walking with me today.
I had a great time hanging out with you! I love meeting new, like minded people.
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