Guide to the Monticello Architectural Records, 1923 - 1976

Collection Number MC 243

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Collection Information
Abstract:

Architectural and archeological data pertaining to the restoration and preservation of Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Included are field notes, drawings, photographs, and slides of grounds, buildings, and furnishings.

Contact Information:
Processed by
Dawne E. Howard
Date Completed
June, 2004
Encoded by
Dawne E. Howard

Descriptive Summary

Creator

Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, Inc.

Title

The Monticello Architectural Records, 1923 - 1976

Call Number

MC 243

Extent

This collection includes 1 wardrobe box containting architectural drawings, 2 photo album boxes, 1 flat folder, and 2 archival boxes.

Location

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Special Collections Research Center Reference Staff.

Information for Users

Restrictions to Access

For reference use only. No copying, citation, or publication without prior permission of the Resident Director of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.
Acquisitions Information


Provenance

Original safety deposit accessioned by the University of North Carolina in 1958. Additions accessioned in 1971, 1974 and 1976. Transferred to North Carolina State University in 1998.
Preferred Citation

Citation of this collection is prohibited without the consent of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc. Please contact the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc. for information regarding citation.
Copyright Notice

North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

Biographical Note


The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation was incorporated in 1923. In this year, the Foundation purchased Monticello and strove to restore and preserve the historic home. Now known as the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the group operates the house, the gardens, the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, a museum shop, the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, and the Monticello Visitors Center. The Foundation is a non-profit organization that emphasizes preservation and education.

Monticello is the only house in America mentioned on the World Heritage List of the United Nations. An example of Roman Neoclassicism, it contains 43 rooms, 13 skylights, and 8 fireplaces. Construction began in 1769, and was completed in 1784. In 1796, construction began on Thomas Jefferson's design for enlarging the house. This contruction ended in 1809. Influenced by French architecture, Jefferson added the famous dome to Monticello in 1800. The estate sits on 5,000 acres in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Due to financial distress, Thomas Jefferson's son sold Monticello to James T. Barclay in 1831. After an unsuccessful attempt to raise silkworms, Barclay sold the estate to Uriah P. Levy in 1834. The Confederacy seized the estate during the Civil War, and the Levy family recovered Monticello in 1879 after lengthy litigation. Jefferson Monroe Levy sold Monticello to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation in 1923.

Scope and Content Note


The Monticello Architectural Records contains architectural and archaeological data pertaining to the restoration and preservation of Monticello. The records represent years of research concerning the structure of Monticello, and include concealed details which were uncovered in 1953 while major structural repairs were underway.

Items in this collection include 127 photoprints of 223 measured drawings of topography, ground layout, and buildings, a reprint of "Monticello: 1856" from the "Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians", "Great Clock" reports, literature about Monticello, information about the furnishings, and photographs and slides. Later additions include drawings of a birdcage table, a filing chest, and Campeachy chair, a knife box, a silver creamer, and a dumbwaiter.

Items on microfilm include original field notes made by the architectural staff, a copy of "The Preservation and Restoration of Monticello 1936-1960; Drawings and Notes by Milton L. Grigg, Restoration Architect,""The Preservation and Restoration of Monticello 1936-1960; Field Notes and Drawings by Milton L. Grigg, Restoration Architect, G-46 through G-818," and Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Minutes, 1923-1976.

Organization of Collection


This collection is divided into four series: Drawings, Publications, Photographs and Slides, and Microfilm.

Online Catalog Headings

  • Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation
  • Thomas Jefferson Foundation
  • Monticello
  • Jefferson, Thomas
  • Charlottesville, Va.
  • Architecture
  • Restoration
  • Preservation
  • Grigg, Milton L.

Related Material

Thomas Jefferson, architect/original designs in the collection of Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, junior, with an essay and notes by Fiske Kimball, NA737.J4 A3 1916
George Matsumoto Collection, MC 42
Leslie Boney Collection, MC 96
Matthew Nowicki Collection, MC 190
Henry Leveke Kamphoefner Collection, MC 198
Charlotte Vestal Brown Collection, MC 219
North Carolina Buildings Collection, MC 225
Guy E. Crampton and William Henley Deitrick Collection, MC 227
Northrup & O'Brien Collection, MC 240
Archie Royal Davis Collection, MC 241
John Erwin Ramsay, Sr. Collection, MC 247
Ballard, McCreedie Associates Collection, MC 251

Detailed Description of the Collection


  • MC 251 Series 01:Drawings


    1 wardrobe box, 1 flat folder

    The drawings in this collection include 127 photoprints of 223 drawings of topography, ground layout, and buildings located on the Monticello estate. Also included are drawings of the "Great Clock", and drawings of household items, including a birdcage table, a filing chest, a Campeachy chair, a knife box, a silver creamer, and a dumbwaiter.

    • Measured drawings, drawings of household items [MC 243 Box 1]
    • "Great Clock" drawings [MC 243 Box 3]

    [Return to Descriptive Summary]


  • MC 251 Series 02:Publications


    1 archival box

    This series contains a reprint of "Monticello: 1856" by John G. Barnwell from the December 1975 "Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians", "Great Clock" reports, literature about Monticello, and information related to the furnishings.

    • Publications [MC 243 Box 2]

    [Return to Descriptive Summary]


  • MC 251 Series 03:Photographs and Slides


    2 photo album boxes

    This series contains photographs and slides of furnishings located on the Monticello estate. The backs of the photographs contain descriptions and the Monticello accession numbers.

    • Photographs and Slides [MC 243 Box 4]
    • Photographs and Slides [MC 243 Box 5]

    [Return to Descriptive Summary]


  • MC 251 Series 04:Microfilm


    5 reels

    Items in this series include original field notes made by the architectural staff, a copy of "The Preservation and Restoration of Monticello 1936-1960; Drawings and Notes by Milton L. Grigg, Restoration Architect,""The Preservation and Restoration of Monticello 1936-1960; Field Notes and Drawings by Milton L. Grigg, Restoration Architect, G-46 through G-818," and Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Minutes, 1923-1976.

    • Original Field Notes [MC 243 Box 6, Reel 1]
    • "The Preservation and Restoration of Monticello 1936-1960; Drawings and Notes by Milton L. Grigg, Restoration Architect" [MC 243 Box 6, Reel 2]
    • "The Preservation and Restoration of Monticello 1936-1960; Field Notes and Drawings by Milton L. Grigg, Restoration Architect, G-46 through G-818" [MC 243 Box 6, Reel 3]
    • Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Minutes, 1923-1934 [MC 243 Box 6, Reel 4]
    • Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Minutes, 1935-1976 [MC 243 Box 6, Reel 5]

    [Return to Descriptive Summary]