Located in Bedford County in central Virginia, not too far from the North Carolina Border, Poplar Forest is the name of Thomas Jefferson’s country retreat. Built in 1806, Thomas Jefferson invested much time, money, and creative energy on this plantation, and the results then were spectacular. Now, Poplar Forest is open for tours and is still very impressive, but the full weight of this establishment will not be felt until all of the restoration is complete.

Thomas Jefferson’s main home was Monticello, a gorgeous house situated on a beautiful land. Why build another house when something so magnificent is y our own? Thomas Jefferson had a constant parade of visitors to Monticello, and when he needed private space or freedom from the demands of his time and political stature, he relaxed in Poplar Forest. This was his place to rejuvenate and make him a more effective leader upon his return to Monticello.

Thomas Jefferson loved to design and create buildings, and he says in many letters that nothing gave him more pleasure than designing Poplar Forest. This retreat was the culmination of Jefferson’s studies in architecture, design, and nature; he took inspiration from the landscape around him, classical literature he studied repeatedly as a child, villas in Italy, and design elements he saw in France. It could definitely be argued that Poplar Forest was America’s first great country retreat, for in the formative years of the United States of America, living was far from glamorous or easy, even for the aristocrats. This house had top notch furniture and art work inside – there was nothing cheap about this residence. The rare visitor Thomas Jefferson did allow to see Poplar Forest was absolutely astonished by its beautiful design; Jefferson definitely set the precedent for many summer retreat houses to come.

The first things visitors will notice about Poplar Forest is its odd octagonal shape. Ever since Jefferson was a young boy, he was obsessed with octagons (for reasons still unclear) and he was finally able to construct a house of this shape with Poplar Forest. In addition to the odd shape, there are skylights and breezeways throughout the house, which lends to the house plenty of light and natural air conditioning. Everything about the house, from the rooms to the length of the windows to the width of the house, is stunningly proportioned. Even the gardens were beautiful, practical, and proportioned; and the archeologists that work on the property are discovering that his extensive farmland surrounding the house was proportionate to the surroundings as well. The slaves quarters have are in the process of being unearthed, their burial sites are still undiscovered. Yet while slaves worked around and on the property and house, Thomas Jefferson, while he would vacation there, would horseback ride, read, or write in the morning. He would occasionally entertain neighbors, and he would play and dine with his family. He took time to write many letters at Poplar Forest, for in Monticello or the White House he was more a man of business relations than personal relations. After dinner and tea on one of his decks, he would retire around 10 for a good nights rest. Jefferson was such a prolific writer at this house, and made copies of almost everything he wrote, that life at Poplar Forest is easily recreated.

Touring the property costs about $8, and although you can do it on your own, we suggest doing a guided tour to have the most enriching experience. It is opened from March to December, and then it closes from the public during the winter months for maintenance and accelerated restoration. This house gives visitors unimaginably intimate knowledge of Thomas Jefferson, the private, family man, instead of the usual Thomas Jefferson portrayed, the president and patriot. The closest large towns are Lynchburg and Petersburg, and if you are in this region, there are hotels and restaurants around, which can be found in our “Places to Stay” and “Places to Eat” categories.




Virginia Tourists Guide - Poplar Forest