Poplar Forest

Looking back on our time in Texas, I regret that we didn't get out and do more on the weekends. Now that we're in Virginia, I'm trying to take advantage of our proximity to the many historical sites nearby.

One of the things I'd done the last time we were in Virginia (June 2009) was visit Thomas Jefferson's house at Monticello. His Charlottesville residence is where he's buried and is the one featured on the reverse of the nickel.

But Jefferson had a second home in Lynchburg called Poplar Forest -- a small, secluded retreat in the woods that he visited frequently between the end of his second term in 1809 and 1823.[Source]. That's the one we went to today.

In a sense, Jefferson's two houses reflect his personality. He received guests at Monticello, but liked the quiet isolation of Poplar Forest. But that's not the only contradiction.

The former is packed full of Jefferson memorabilia, while the latter is pretty much empty. Though Monticello has always been "Thomas Jefferson's house," Poplar Forest was quickly sold outside the family after his death and only became a National Historic Landmark in 1970. And while Monticello as a plantation is still pretty much intact, from Poplar Forest you can still see suburban houses encroaching on its periphery.

In short, Monticello has always been a monument to Jefferson's greatness, while Poplar Forest is still recovering from being, well, just a weird old house.

If there's one thing that stands out about Poplar Forest, it's the asymmetrical wing that houses the kitchen facilities. Jefferson was really big into symmetry, so my guess is that he'd hoped his descendents would finish the second one.

In addition, Jefferson's design included an interesting landscaping flaw. According to the above picture, Jefferson intended to put willow trees on top of the mounds on either side of the main building. The problem is that willow trees require a lot of water -- they didn't survive very long.

Thomas Jefferson was an interesting guy who drew on his varied experiences in designing his residences. Though they've been treated differently since his time, I think they complement each other in giving a fuller impression of the man.