Thomas Jefferson's Retreat

“A three-story farmhouse designed to look like a one-floor villa, Monticello is a masterpiece of architectural deception” (142). 


The Book 


In Twilight at Monticello: The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson, author Alan Pell Crawford writes about Jefferson’s time at Monticello after he left the presidency. The first nine chapters focus on the land Monticello sits on, Jefferson’s early life, the Revolutionary War, and Jefferson’s time as a public servant. Crawford includes just enough information on Jefferson’s life before retirement to bring the reader up to speed.


Jefferson moved to Monticello when he was 27 and spent majority of the rest of his life there. In designing and adding on to Monticello, Jefferson used half-octagonal shapes that stemmed from his interest in circles and squares (73). Several generations of Jeffersons lived with the family patriarch, which often led to tension. Crawford uses short chapters on specific topics to show the reader that Jefferson was a man just like everyone else. In his final years, Jefferson dealt with bad harvests, debt, family infighting, declining health, and weather damage to his land. The reader comes away with a personal look at the author of the Declaration of Independence, which includes his good and bad points.



The Place   

Monticello is a beautiful place to visit: full of history and views of the surrounding countryside. Just like Mount Vernon, I visited Monticello once as a kid and a second time when I was living in Washington, DC. During the two visits a brand new visitor center was completed to welcome visitors to Jefferson’s home. A video introduces visitors to Jefferson and Monticello before a walk up the hillside. From Jefferson’s front door you can look down the hill and see the University of Virginia. Inside visitors can take in artifacts from the Lewis and Clark Expedition, paintings and busts of family and friends, and a special clock that Jefferson designed.


Jefferson’s library is well stocked, just as it was when he lived there. As visitors file past Jefferson’s rooms they can see his bed that folded out from the wall, in order to conserve space. Outside are the extensive gardens, family cemetery, and walkways that extend from the house. Monticello is a two and half hour drive from Washington, DC and sits just outside Charlottesville, VA. James Madison’s home, Montpelier, is forty-five minutes north of Monticello. Constitution Highway connects the homes of these two Founding Fathers.