“How do you lose a president’s house?” That was Highland Executive Director Sara Bon-Harper’s reaction when a 2016 archaeological dig conducted at James Monroe’s plantation turned up a discovery that completely reinterpreted the site. The research uncovered part of the foundation of Monroe’s original 1799 home, under the front yard of the existing Victorian-era Massey […]
“How do you lose a president’s house?” That was Highland Executive Director Sara Bon-Harper’s reaction when a 2016 archaeological dig conducted at James Monroe’s plantation turned up a discovery that completely reinterpreted the site. The research uncovered part of the foundation of Monroe’s original 1799 home, under the front yard of the existing Victorian-era Massey […]
See the trees: Monticello may get all the hype, but James Monroe’s Highland is a hidden gem nestled in the rolling hills just outside of town. Get familiar with the lore of the woods in Monroe’s old stomping grounds during a 45-minute Historic Tree Walk. A Highland guide takes you through the fields and forests […]
Back in 2018, the wedding site Zola published an article titled “8 Unique Charlottesville Wedding Venues,” including The Jefferson Theater, Meriwether Springs Vineyard, and James Monroe’s Highland—one of Virginia’s most famous plantations. But now Zola is one of several wedding planning websites that will no longer promote former slave plantations as wedding sites. While Zola […]
In a world where the touch of a finger delivers a meal, a song or a new pair of shoes, the passing down of traditions to make these things from scratch sounds quaint. But when experts and students come together for the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase, crafters, makers and legions of DIY hipsters find plenty […]
For those of us who prefer to eat our way through Virginia history, the Virginia Humanities Virginia Folklife Program Apprenticeship Showcase, which takes place Sunday, May 6, at James Monroe’s Highland, is a must-attend annual event. It’s a chance to see how different Virginia culinary traditions are preserved as they are passed down from master […]
Amateur archaeologists had been kneeling in the dirt of the South Yard at James Madison’s Montpelier for hours, painstakingly searching for intact artifacts that could be used in exhibits detailing the lives of the enslaved community that was forced to live and toil there. Among them was Leontyne Peck, who was participating in her first […]
NONPROFIT Veterans Day ceremony Friday, November 10 The UVA Army ROTC cadets, the Buford Middle School band and Retired Colonel James O’Kelley will participate in a ceremony to salute our veterans, followed by a living timeline of veterans. Active duty military and veterans get in free; $8-$14 admission includes historic house tour, 1pm. James Monroe’s […]
Each spring in central Virginia a unique handoff takes place at the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase. After nine months of learning from the best in their respective fields, students graduate with skills and a deep appreciation for traditional music, food and crafts such as Hindustani vocals, square dance calling, paper sculpture and Cambodian costume-making. The […]