Monticello Monday

In honor of the recent July 4th holiday, I am posting then (July 1954) and “now” (August 2017) shots of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd U.S. President. The biggest difference from the above and below shots would be what appears to be a very heavy thinning of the landscape. When I visited in 2017, obviously many of the trees surrounding the home had been removed.



Back to July 1954, with another shot of the home that Jefferson designed himself:



The whites seemed whiter in 1954 vs. 2017, and there appears to have been a different color palette applied to the dome.



I have no corresponding shot for this, which shows the walkway to the side of the house:



A detailed view of the cistern:



Where the tour from July1954 must have begun:





How that side of the house looked in August 2017; again, fewer trees and I am assuming that the whiter-whites in 1954 were not considered historically accurate.



Our 1954 tour group pays a visit to the Ice House:





This 1954 shot of the breezeway along Mulberry Row shows what appears to be a replica of the Liberty Bell:



Complete with crack (the legal kind!). I don’t recall seeing this when I visited in 2017. It must either be in storage or moved elsewhere.



Another shot along Mulberry Row:



The corresponding view from August 2017:



1954 guests look inside the kitchen and read the signage outside:



The inside of the kitchen from 2017:



I have no idea what this building is; if it was there in 2017, I either missed it or it had been removed.






Jefferson died on July 4, 1826; John Adams, the 2nd President of the U.S., outlived him by a few hours, despite his final words being, “Thomas Jefferson survives.”

See more Monticello photos at my main website.

Return to Monticello

It had been sixteen years since my one and only visit to Monticello, the creation and home of Thomas Jefferson. Although he was the third President of the United States, the three things he wanted to be known for did not include that office. But I digress; all of that will be covered at a later date. It was a bit rainy when I arrived at the visitor center, but that did not deter me from embarking on the tour. Here was my first view of Monticello after all this time:



I didn't really mind the mist and fog, which weren't even noticeable when I zoomed into the bright flowers that surrounded Jefferson's estate.



The back view of the house, which is my favorite side:



Since I arrived early, I walked around the grounds:



Exploring the tunnels underneath the house:



The kitchen where many meals were prepared:



The view from Mulberry Row, known as the principal "street" of Jefferson's 5000 acre plantation.



Photos were not allowed inside the house; it was explained to me that many of the items were on loan and therefore not allowed to be photographed. However, I was told that I could shoot inside the dome of the house. I didn't have to be told twice.



This little secret playroom can be found inside the dome as well:



One last shot of Mulberry Row before ending the post:



Jefferson is buried at Monticello, and I was given the option of taking the bus to the cemetery or walking. Can you guess which one I chose? Come back again to find out.

See more Monticello photos at my main website.