In mid-June, Marie and I took a vacation to western (not West) Virginia. The trip focused on historical sites in and near Charlottesville – on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains; and Staunton – nestled in the Shenandoah Valley between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains.
Charlottesville, with a population of about 50,000, was founded in 1762. It’s the home of three presidents – at the top of this blog, Monticello (Thomas Jefferson, president #3, 1801 thru 1808); above this paragraph, Montpelier (James Madison, #4, 1809 thru 1816); and, below this paragraph Highlands (James Monroe, #5, 1817 thru 1824).
It’s also the home of the University of Virginia (UVA) – founded in 1819 by Jefferson, and also designed by him. Both Monticello and UVA, see below this paragraph, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We toured all three homes, as well as the UVA grounds.
Our favorite place was Monticello – we visited just two days before the opening of the new and permanent Sally Hemings Family Tour in the south wing of the plantation. Hemings bore Jefferson five children – and today Monticello minces no words in revealing the depth and breadth of the relationship. Such transparency was centuries in the making – but it now allows the visitor to experience Monticello thru the lens of the Hemings Family, the best documented enslaved family in the United States.
Probably the most surprising place was Montpelier – it has recently undergone an extensive and magnificent restoration, and the setting is gorgeous.
In Charlottesville, we stayed at The Dinsmore House. It’s a great location across the street from UVA, and built by John Dinsmore – who essentially was Jefferson’s general contractor at both Monticello and UVA.
Our next stop was Appomattox – just southeast of Charlottesville. Appomattox was the site of Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Ulysses S. Grant in April 1865 – effectively ending the Civil War. The site is administered by the National Park Service – and they do a terrific job of narrating the events leading up to the surrender, and the final days and hours of Lee’s army.
Appomattox was a “bucket list” stop for me – and a real thrill!
Our last stop was Staunton – nestled in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Just less than 25,000 people, it was first settled in 1732 – and developed as a trade, transportation and industrial center.
Staunton has a compact downtown – with historic and well-maintained buildings dating to its early years. It has a delightful blend of bars and restaurants, antique shops and art galleries, and historic sites and cultural venues.
We stayed at the The Frederick House – just a block or so away from downtown. It was also just a block from the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum.
The Museum was my highlight for the two days in Staunton. I had just finished Patricia O’Toole’s biography of Wilson, entitled “The Moralist” – which I read in preparation for the visit. The tour was excellent, but never erased the impression that I have gathered of Wilson as a miserable human being.
This was a deep dive into American history. So, if you consider visiting any of these sites, I recommend reading and research ahead of time to thoroughly enjoy and understand the experiences.
Z
