The Levy Family and Monticello

I just finished reading an interesting book, Saving Monticello, by Marc Leepson. While visiting the new Crozet Library, the book caught my eye because of the forlorn image of Monticello on the cover. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that this is the first book that I have read relating to Monticello. Why is it that if something is nearby we tend to ignore it? Actually, I visit the gardens of Monticello each Fall during their Heritage Harvest Festival but I haven't toured the home that Jefferson built for probably 30 years.

Poplar Tree that had to be removed in 2008

As referenced in the book, Monticello changed hands many times after Thomas Jefferson's death. The first sale of Monticello, reluctantly, by the Jefferson heirs was in 1831 for $7,000 to a local Charlottesville druggist. After a short period, Monticello was sold to Uriah Levy and for 9 decades a Levy family member owned the property but not continuously as at one point during the Civil War the Confederacy seized Monticello. 

Monticello Heritage Harvest Festival

When one sees the current condition of Monticello, it is hard to believe that it almost fell into total disrepair and could have easily been lost forever. Very few of the property owners kept Monticello as their permanent residence and this mountain retreat was used as a vacation home or place to entertain dignitaries. Years of feuding over Monticello and a constant stream of tourists left the estate sad and weary. Property owners often left it up to a hired Farm Manager to oversee the house and grounds. Interestingly, at one point livestock lived in the basement and feed was stored upstairs!

A bit of detective work scored one of the Levy family Lions.

When funds were available the Levy family infused money into the upkeep of the property. During one such period, two life sized Lion statues were placed on the front entryway of the house. In the 1920's when the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation took over ownership of Monticello all of the Levy property was sold at auction. I was fascinated to read in the book that one of the Lions was still in Charlottesville on Canterbury Road (which just happens to be my favorite neighborhood in Cville) so I decided to take a drive to see if it was visible. I was so surprised to find the Levy Lion!

This fascinating book reveals that without the Levy family there might have not been a home standing at Monticello for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation to preserve.  This estate which has so much meaning to so many, could have been lost forever.

-Rebecca

Historic Garden Week in Virginia

Peppermint striped Camelia, Academical Village Gardens, UVA

This week is the annual Historic Garden Week in Virginia.  We're heading to Richmond tomorrow as it seemed to have the most bang for your buck within our range of an hours drive from Charlottesville, Virginia.

Most important to me are extensive gardens.  Some tours focus more on the interior of the home than the exterior gardens.  I decided the Chatham Hills / Windsor on the James neighborhoods in Richmond tour to be described as being more heavy on the gardens.

We'll see - regardless, check it out, the tours go through this coming weekend and are always top notch!  I'll be publishing a follow up after the tour.

Old Oak on Forsythia Hill, Charlottesville, Virginia

Today is also Earth Day! Be kind to your planet, it has so much beauty and pleasure to offer. I'm proud to say that so far this year I've not accepted one plastic bag from any store! It's easy to carry a shopping bag once you get used to it.  Set a goal and you won't forget!

-Rebecca

Trip Back Home

My beloved bungalow on Pleasant Hill in Pulaski.

Most people take vacations in the summer, well it seems that rarely happens for us.  I admire families that travel and make the effort to get away.  Last Friday, my husband and I returned to our family home in Pulaski, Virginia that had been rented for the last 18 months.  We knew there was going to be a lot of yard work and we packed up our tools and headed out.  We worked and worked and worked and worked.  It was grueling.  Anthony departed Monday driving 3 hours back to our house in Charlottesville.  Turning the corner into our driveway sat a HUGE pine tree that had toppled over during a storm (plus 5 other damaged or destroyed trees laying haphazardly all around).  I stayed back at our old house to continue working in the yard, thank goodness, I would have fainted at the sight of our beloved pine tree splayed across our driveway. 

Could it get worse?  Well, YES!

My mother joined me on Monday to help with the continuing yard work at the family home in Pulaski.  We worked until Friday to the point of exhaustion.  I did manage to see a few friends and neighbors for a quick hello.  I never seem to have enough time to enjoy friends and hike the 70 acre field.  It's so peaceful back away from traffic noise, lawn mowers, and barking dogs.  My mother is going to try and sell our family home.  It is such a sad decision but managing a large property living an hour away is never easy.  If there was a way to have my cake and eat it too, it would be to move our home and yard to Charlottesville.  I've decided that if our family home sells to never return.  The thought of my 20 years of gardening being obliterated is too much for me to handle and the chopping down of the grand Maples would make me have a breakdown. 

A lovely restored old "Tea House".

Needing a little TLC - it's FOR SALE!

The little town of Pulaski was originally named "Martin's Tank" after the Martin family.  I am a direct descendant and moved to Pulaski from Charlotte, North Carolina to get back to my roots.  A big storm blew through Pulaski a month ago and damaged many properties, most will be repaired but it was sad to see several beautiful homes that continue to degrade due to lack of caring owners.  There are positive moments, some older homes have been purchased and saved and I was happy to see that the Train Station was restored after it caught fire.  Our grand Court House nearly burned to the ground the first month when we arrived and the Train Station caught fire 20 years later when we departed.

My Pulaski Southern Magnolia,
a gift from my father in law.

Now back "home" the real work begins, finish the chicken coop (our neighbors are moving in just 9 days and we're babysitting their chickens for 2+ years) and cut up wood that is down all around. 

So much for a "summer vacation".

-Rebecca