Monticello: A Presidential Residence in Virginia

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit Thomas Jefferson’s classical home.

Jefferson’s design called for precise symmetry, with the West Portico’s front door and the pediment over it aligning exactly with the pediment over the four columns. The decorative façade elements of cornices and column-like molding friezes are derived from classical Roman buildings. Chimneys from six of the eight fireplaces are visible from the West Portico exterior view. N8Allen/Shutterstock

Most well-known American structures were designed by noteworthy architects, although it was traveler, bibliophile, American president, and self-taught architect Thomas Jefferson who was responsible for the distinct architecture of his home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Begun in the 1770s, work on the home would grow into a project lasting 40 years, resulting in 11,000 square feet of space and 43 rooms, from the cellar to the third floor as well as a pavilion and terrace.