Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest, Lynchburg VA

August 2024

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson had a vacation home that he designed himself? It’s much more modest than Monticello, a single octagonal building plus one wing of storage and utility rooms. It also combines an astonishing array of architectural elements that Jefferson had come across in his life, somehow merging them into a harmonious whole.

You approach Poplar Forest through a sprawling, hilly suburban neighborhood, so don’t feel bad if you worry whether you’re actually less than a mile away from a historic property.

Its restoration was completed only in 2023, so all the displays and signs are refreshingly new. The restoration was required as the house had changed hands several times and modified by some of its owners. It’s now back to what it looked like in Jefferson’s time, except for one room which is delightfully kept in a state of construction: one wall is just bare studs, another shows the plaster, etc., so you can see the different stages of building a house like this (see the third photo below).

The signage does an excellent job of laying out the history of the place and the many people who lived and worked here, particularly given the unusual purpose of this house as a vacation home. I spent several hours here and they flew by.

Cost: $23 per adult, $20 for seniors or military, $12 for students 12-college, $6 for kids 6-11

Conditions: 87° F, sunny