Monticello – Thomas Jefferson’s Essay in Architecture
The principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson retired to his Virginia plantation home, Monticello after eight years in his position. Monticello, or also known as “Little Mountain” was Jefferson’s home since 1770 until his death in 1826. Monticello sits over a lofty hill in Albemarle County, Virginia. The mansion is about 11,000 square feet in size and has twenty-three rooms. Jefferson spent more than four decades maintaining, renovating and designing the estate, which he called “Essay in Architecture.”
Source: sutori.com
No other president’s home than Jefferson’s Monticello better mirrors the character of its owner. He designed the mansion even though he wasn’t an architect. Monticello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It is considered a national treasure for its splendor and historical significance. The estate reveals a lot about Jefferson, a controversial and complex man whose philosophy in politics deeply molded the American nation.