Who Built Monticello
Monticello is a famous estate, which includes a famous neoclassical residence, that is strongly linked to the history of the United States. It is for this reason that it is listed as a National Historic Landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The estate originally belonged to the author of the Declaration of Independence and 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson. Today, Monticello is operated by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation as a museum that is open to the public. If you are wondering who built this important residence, keep reading to find out.
Who Built Monticello?
The centerpiece of the Monticello estate is the house, also called Monticello, with an impressive 1,000 m2 (11,000 ft2 of living space. This house was designed and built by Thomas Jefferson and the first work began on the house in 1769. The building was constructed by local stonemasons, carpenters, joiners and slaves. He first moved into the residence in 1770 and his new wife joined him in 1772, but the building still wasn’t fully completed. Unfortunately, his wife died in 1782 and two years later the house was virtually finished when he left for an important job in France. During his time in Europe he gained many design ideas from the classical buildings of the region. In 1794 he began work remodeling his house based on some of these designs. The work continued for many years, including during his time as President, until it was finally finished in 1809.
Did you know?
An artist’s rendition of Monticello was placed on the reverse of the two dollar bill in 1928. When the two dollar bill was reintroduced in 1976, Monticello was no longer shown on the bill.
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