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Montpelier (James Madison)
Encyclopedia
Montpelier was a large tobacco
plantation and estate
of the prominent Madison family of Virginia planters, including James Madison
, fourth President of the United States
. The manor house of Montpelier is four miles (6 km) south of Orange, Virginia
, and the estate currently covers some 2650 acres (1,072.4 ha). It is a declared National Historic Landmark
(1960), listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(1966), and since 1984 has been owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
.
of Virginia
, was acquired by James Madison's grandfather, Ambrose Madison
, and his brother-in-law Thomas Chew, in 1723. Ambrose and his family moved to the plantation
, then known as Mount Pleasant, in 1732. When Ambrose died only six months later, poisoned, according to court records, by three African American
slave
s, his wife Frances managed the estate. In time she was assisted by their only son, James Madison, Sr.
, later known as Colonel Madison. Colonel Madison's first-born son, also James, was born in 1751 at Belle Grove
, his mother's family estate in Port Conway
, but was soon taken to Montpelier where he spent his first years before being taken to a new house built by his father half a mile away. This new house forms the heart of the main house at Montpelier today. Built around 1764, with two stories of brick in Flemish bond, and a low, hipped roof with chimney stacks at both ends.
James, Junior inherited Montpelier after his father's death in 1801 and retired there after his second term as president came to an end in 1817. In 1797, after his first retirement from politics, he added a thirty-foot extension and a Tuscan
portico
. Single-story flat-roofed extensions were built at either end of the house and a Drawing Room was created out of two of the existing rooms in around 1810. James Madison died in 1836 and is buried in the family cemetery at Montpelier. His widow, Dolley Madison
, moved back to Washington, D.C.
after his death and sold the estate in 1844.
Montpelier was permanently staffed by an enslaved African population which fluctuated in size but averaged approximately 100 during James Madison's tenure as owner.
. A horse enthusiast, William du Pont built barns, stables and other buildings for equestrian
use. Marion duPont inherited the estate in 1928. She preserved much of the core of the Madison home, gardens, and grounds of Montpelier as a legacy for all Americans while enlarging the house considerably. She added wings that more than doubled the size of the house to 55 rooms.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1960.
Marion du Pont died in 1983 and her will wanted the property to go to the National Trust for Historic Preservation
and left an additional $10 million to maintain it.. However, her father's will stated that if she died childless then the property would go to her brother, William duPont, Jr.
Because he died in 1965, William, Jr's five children legally inherited the property. Three children sold their interest to the National Trust as did the other two after a protracted court battle.
.
The restoration work restored Montpelier to its 1820 appearance. This involved the demolition of additions made to the house by the du Pont family, removal of the stucco exterior, restoration of the original brick exterior, and reconstruction of the house's interior as it appeared during Madison's tenure as owner. Authentic materials were used in the restoration, including horsehair plaster, and paint containing linseed oil and chalk.
Additionally, a wing in the visitors' center is dedicated to the du Pont family, including a restored art deco Red Room from the du Pont era, moved from the mansion.
At the entrance to the Montpelier garden is the largest of several Cedars of Lebanon
, this one certainly planted during James Madison's lifetime.
Montpelier abuts the James Madison Landmark Forest, a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) stand of old growth forest
, one of the largest and best preserved groves of old-growth piedmont forest in the eastern United States.
Montpelier continues to host special events including the annual Montpelier Hunt Races, an autumn steeplechase
event started by Marion du Pont Scott and her brother William du Pont, Jr. in 1934. The races are held the first Saturday in November every year. The 75th running of the Montpelier Hunt Races was held November 7, 2009.
The Montpelier Hunt Races have been a Virginia institution for over 75 years. Montpelier boasts one of the only steeplechase tracks in the country that still uses traditional hedgerows for jumps. Montpelier always hosts seven races at this event. Guests may watch the races directly at the rail, and experience some of the finest and most exhilarating racing in America. This event is always on the first weekend in November.
The Montpelier Wine Festival showcases distinctive arts and crafts, speciality food vendors, local agricultural products, and, of course, Virginia wine from approximately 25 different Virginia wineries.
The Fall Fiber Festival happens every October, and is a popular regional event. The event showcases every aspect of textile manufacturing, from the production of wool to the finished product. Events include sheep shearing, craft demos, and a host of other activities. The most popular feature of the Fall Fiber Festival is the Sheep Dog Trials.
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
plantation and estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
of the prominent Madison family of Virginia planters, including James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, fourth President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The manor house of Montpelier is four miles (6 km) south of Orange, Virginia
Orange, Virginia
Orange is a town in Orange County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,721 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Orange County...
, and the estate currently covers some 2650 acres (1,072.4 ha). It is a declared National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
(1960), listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(1966), and since 1984 has been owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
.
The Madison family
The land, in the PiedmontPiedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, was acquired by James Madison's grandfather, Ambrose Madison
Ambrose Madison
Ambrose Madison married Frances Taylor in 1721, and he was the father of James Madison, Sr. and the grandfather of U.S. President James Madison. His father was John Madison, and his mother was Isabella Minor Todd...
, and his brother-in-law Thomas Chew, in 1723. Ambrose and his family moved to the plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
, then known as Mount Pleasant, in 1732. When Ambrose died only six months later, poisoned, according to court records, by three African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s, his wife Frances managed the estate. In time she was assisted by their only son, James Madison, Sr.
James Madison, Sr.
James Madison, Sr. was a prominent Virginia planter and the owner of Montpelier, a large tobacco plantation in Orange County, Virginia. He was father to U.S. President James Madison who also owned and lived at Montpelier.-Biography:James Madison, Sr, was the son of Ambrose Madison and his wife...
, later known as Colonel Madison. Colonel Madison's first-born son, also James, was born in 1751 at Belle Grove
Belle Grove (Port Conway, Virginia)
Belle Grove is a historic plantation located on U.S. 301 in Port Conway, Virginia. The present plantation house was built in 1790.James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, was born on March 16, 1751, on Belle Grove plantation in an earlier house which is no longer in existence...
, his mother's family estate in Port Conway
Port Conway, Virginia
Port Conway is an unincorporated community on the north side of the Rappahannock River in King George County, in the Northern Neck of Virginia, in the United States...
, but was soon taken to Montpelier where he spent his first years before being taken to a new house built by his father half a mile away. This new house forms the heart of the main house at Montpelier today. Built around 1764, with two stories of brick in Flemish bond, and a low, hipped roof with chimney stacks at both ends.
James, Junior inherited Montpelier after his father's death in 1801 and retired there after his second term as president came to an end in 1817. In 1797, after his first retirement from politics, he added a thirty-foot extension and a Tuscan
Tuscan order
Among canon of classical orders of classical architecture, the Tuscan order's place is due to the influence of the Italian Sebastiano Serlio, who meticulously described the five orders including a "Tuscan order", "the solidest and least ornate", in his fourth book of Regole generalii di...
portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
. Single-story flat-roofed extensions were built at either end of the house and a Drawing Room was created out of two of the existing rooms in around 1810. James Madison died in 1836 and is buried in the family cemetery at Montpelier. His widow, Dolley Madison
Dolley Madison
Dolley Payne Todd Madison was the spouse of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and was First Lady of the United States from 1809 to 1817...
, moved back to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
after his death and sold the estate in 1844.
Montpelier was permanently staffed by an enslaved African population which fluctuated in size but averaged approximately 100 during James Madison's tenure as owner.
The Du Pont family
After some renovations in the later 19th century (c. 1855 and c. 1880), the house was acquired in 1901 by William and Annie Rogers duPont of the du Pont familyDu Pont family
The Du Pont family is an American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours . The son of a Paris watchmaker and a member of a Burgundian noble family, he and his sons, Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, emigrated to the United States in 1800 and used the resources of...
. A horse enthusiast, William du Pont built barns, stables and other buildings for equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
use. Marion duPont inherited the estate in 1928. She preserved much of the core of the Madison home, gardens, and grounds of Montpelier as a legacy for all Americans while enlarging the house considerably. She added wings that more than doubled the size of the house to 55 rooms.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1960.
Marion du Pont died in 1983 and her will wanted the property to go to the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
and left an additional $10 million to maintain it.. However, her father's will stated that if she died childless then the property would go to her brother, William duPont, Jr.
William duPont, Jr.
William duPont, Jr. was an American businessman and banker and a prominent figure in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing. A member of the Delaware Du Pont family, he was the son of William du Pont and Annie Rogers , and brother to horsewoman, Marion.In 1919, he married Jean Liseter Austin...
Because he died in 1965, William, Jr's five children legally inherited the property. Three children sold their interest to the National Trust as did the other two after a protracted court battle.
Restoration
A major $25 million restoration program was begun in October 2003, was completed on September 17, 2008, and was celebrated with a Restoration Celebration on Constitution Day, September 17 with major funding by National Trust Community Investment CorporationNational Trust Community Investment Corporation
The National Trust Community Investment Corporation is a private, for-profit subsidiary of the American National Trust for Historic Preservation, founded in 2000. NTCIC is a tax credit syndicator...
.
The restoration work restored Montpelier to its 1820 appearance. This involved the demolition of additions made to the house by the du Pont family, removal of the stucco exterior, restoration of the original brick exterior, and reconstruction of the house's interior as it appeared during Madison's tenure as owner. Authentic materials were used in the restoration, including horsehair plaster, and paint containing linseed oil and chalk.
Additionally, a wing in the visitors' center is dedicated to the du Pont family, including a restored art deco Red Room from the du Pont era, moved from the mansion.
Today
Montpelier is open to paying visitors every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Montpelier is now embarking on a "Presidential Detective Story" to return the furnishings and decor to the home of James and Dolley Madison.At the entrance to the Montpelier garden is the largest of several Cedars of Lebanon
Lebanon Cedar
Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean region.There are two distinct types that are considered to be different subspecies or varieties. Lebanon cedar or Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean...
, this one certainly planted during James Madison's lifetime.
Montpelier abuts the James Madison Landmark Forest, a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) stand of old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
, one of the largest and best preserved groves of old-growth piedmont forest in the eastern United States.
Annual events
Montpelier is the site of many annual events, but there are three events in particular that draw large crowds: The Montpelier Hunt Races, the Montpelier Wine Festival, and the Fiber Festival.Montpelier continues to host special events including the annual Montpelier Hunt Races, an autumn steeplechase
Steeplechase (horse racing)
The steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
event started by Marion du Pont Scott and her brother William du Pont, Jr. in 1934. The races are held the first Saturday in November every year. The 75th running of the Montpelier Hunt Races was held November 7, 2009.
The Montpelier Hunt Races have been a Virginia institution for over 75 years. Montpelier boasts one of the only steeplechase tracks in the country that still uses traditional hedgerows for jumps. Montpelier always hosts seven races at this event. Guests may watch the races directly at the rail, and experience some of the finest and most exhilarating racing in America. This event is always on the first weekend in November.
The Montpelier Wine Festival showcases distinctive arts and crafts, speciality food vendors, local agricultural products, and, of course, Virginia wine from approximately 25 different Virginia wineries.
The Fall Fiber Festival happens every October, and is a popular regional event. The event showcases every aspect of textile manufacturing, from the production of wool to the finished product. Events include sheep shearing, craft demos, and a host of other activities. The most popular feature of the Fall Fiber Festival is the Sheep Dog Trials.