Travel and Adventure by Various Travel Authors

By Ruth A. Hill

Those who recall high school history lessons know the Commonwealth of Virginia was birthplace to eight U.S. presidents, including four of the first five. Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe all called these rolling hills, meandering Atlantic coast and piedmont home, and they were some of the reasons the state dominated Colonial politics. Virginia later launched Harrison (William Henry), Tyler, Taylor and Wilson, giving it justification for labeling itself the Mother of Presidents.

Presidents' homes have always been major Virginia attractions, and new restorations and elevated interpretative features now offer visitors reasons to experience again - or for the first time - the homesteads that sheltered and shaped many of the nation's early leaders.

Washington's Mount Vernon, downriver from Washington, D.C., remains the most visited and elaborate homeplace in the lexicon. The mansion was the nation's first preservation project in the 1850s and has been a visitor magnet ever since. When its caretakers realized a few years ago that many of today's schoolchildren and others don't know George, they launched a comprehensive redo of the estate to give 21st century visitors a better idea of who he was and what he did for his country.

Though the preserved mansion remains much as it has always been, a lot has been added to embellish the estate's interpretation of the man and his accomplishments. One can easily spend an entire day visiting the mansion, museum, outbuildings, garden and new gift shop. Even the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant dŽcor and cuisine has been updated to please 21st century tastes.

More than $100 million has brought Mount Vernon new orientation and education centers, and they are no snooze for anyone of any age - even the historically challenged visitor. The new high-tech interactive spaces portray the man in his multiple roles as an 18th century surveyor soldier, leader of the Continental Army, government leader, entrepreneur, husband, stepfather and more. Washington's gristmill, distillery and 16-sided treading barn have been reconstructed on the 500-acre estate on the Potomac River. The message is clearly one of character and leadership that powered the personality historian David McCullough credits with saving the young nation in its beginnings.

Thomas Jefferson's stunning mountaintop home near Charlottesville also offers visitors new reasons to call. Five pavilions set around a courtyard comprise a new visitor and education center opened earlier this year at Monticello. Exhibits and an introductory film present fresh perspectives on Jefferson's ideas and contributions to America, including his authorship of the Declaration of Independence. Slavery is no longer a suppressed topic at the estate, nor is Jefferson's paternity of several children with his slave, Sally Hemings. Jefferson's ideas about liberty and his interest in architecture and agriculture are also on display. New resources for children and students now include hands-on activities and workshop programs.

In 1809, Jefferson retired from public life and began extended visits to his new octagonal retreat home near Lynchburg. He called it Poplar Forest, and it was for many years his escape from the demands of his notoriety. The mansion's subsequent history left it devastated and obscured until a foundation rescued it in the 1980s and began restoration. In this 200th anniversary year of Jefferson's retirement and first stay at his vacation home, the exterior of Poplar Forest looks much as it did when Jefferson made his last visit in 1823 at age 81. Visitors experience the very Jeffersonian architecture and landscaping that reflect his vision. Ongoing excavations continue, and scientists share their latest discoveries during calendared events.

James Madison's head isn't on Mount Rushmore despite his credits as Father of the Constitution, architect of the Bill of Rights and president. But the recently completed five-year $25 million architectural restoration of his lifelong home, Montpelier, is moving him into new light.

Situated on 2,650 beautiful rolling acres in Orange County, the estate is a National Trust for Historic Preservation site in the care of the Montpelier Foundation, which seeks to restore Madison's considerable legacy.

Returning the Madison mansion to the footprint the president and his engaging wife Dolley knew was no easy task. The estate the Madisons built was owned for nearly a century by members of the duPont family, and they had made additions and other changes. Restorers conducted a forensic investigation to identify long-buried architectural features such as doorway partitions, cornices and Madison-era windows. Fiber-optic scopes were dropped down walls, allowing them to see the building's old bones. There was also a paper trail kept by James Dinsmore, the artisan who directed Madison's construction. Dinsmore was Jefferson's master craftsman at Monticello, so it's no coincidence that some of Montpelier's features resemble Jefferson's residence. Other evidence was found online - an insurance policy Dolley bought in 1837 after her husband's death. That survey outlined in good detail all outbuildings, slave quarters and other clues. A few early photos helped, as well. The next phase of restoration will add era furnishings, a project that caretakers say is as painstaking as restoration of the house.

Today's Montpelier visitors see the interesting results of the architectural transformation, plus more. They can stand in Madison's second floor library and look over the same inspiring landscape he contemplated as he envisioned the American Constitution. Mansion tours also include the rooms where the Madisons entertained, the kitchens where slaves prepared meals and narratives about the restoration. A theater offers the home's history and some background about the Madisons.

Throughout the estate, there are other stops and tours that add to the story, such as the enslaved community tour that examines Madison's attitudes towards the institution of slavery. The graves of James and Dolley are in the Madison Family Cemetery, and the slave cemetery is the site of unmarked graves of many Montpelier slaves. Gilmore Cabin portrays the life of former slave and freedman George Gilmore and his family. Active archaeological digs continue to yield clues to Madison-era life, and visitors can join in the digging. There are walking trails through the estate's 200-year-old forest, and the Annie duPont Formal Garden on the same site as the Madison garden is colorful year-round. A self-guided Civil War Trail guides takers to newly rebuilt Confederate huts in the woods.

Marion duPont Scott's equestrian legacy to the estate remains in the November Montpelier Hunt Races and the rescued former thoroughbred race horses that live on the estate. There is more duPont history in the William duPont Gallery spaces, including the famed Art Deco "Red Room," showcasing Mrs. Scott's horseracing memorabilia.

With all that's new in Virginia's presidential homes, visitors don't have to rely on history books to get to know the country's founders. The meticulous restorations and modern interpretive additions help some very old walls tell lots of tales.

IF YOU GO

Presidential homes offer tours and events throughout the year to enliven the visitor experience. General information on Virginia touring is at Virginia Tourism's www.virginia.org

Monticello: www.monticello.org

Montpelier: www.montpelier.org

Mount Vernon: www.mountvernon.org

Poplar Forest: www.poplarforest.org. This retreat is near other historic attractions, such as the World War II D-Day Memorial at www.visitbedford.com.

Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, reflects the third president's interest in architecture. Photo courtesy of the Monticello-Thomas Jefferson Foundation and the Virginia Tourism Corp. (end caption3)

Ruth A. Hill is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM.

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