"When finished it will be the best dwelling house in the state except that of Monticello; perhaps preferable to that, as more proportioned to the faculties of a private citizen."

-Thomas Jefferson, 1812

Thomas and Martha Jefferson inherited 4,819 acres of land in Bedford County, Virginia, in 1773, when Martha's father, John Wayles, died.  The land was called Poplar Forest and was a working plantation, or large farm, where tobacco was grown.

At first, Jefferson only visited Poplar Forest a few times.  He was busy with his political career, serving as a member of the House of Burgesses beginning in 1769.  He later went on to write the Declaration of Independence in 1776.  He also served as governor of Virginia beginning in 1779.

In 1781, Thomas, Martha, and their family visited Poplar Forest during the American Revolution.  They escaped British troops who wanted to capture Jefferson and other government officials in Charlottesville, Virginia.  The brick house at Poplar Forest was not yet built, so the family probably stayed in a simple wooden house used by the overseer, the man who managed the plantation.  It was during this visit that Jefferson worked on his only book, Notes on the State of Virginia.

In the years that followed, many commitments kept Jefferson away from Poplar Forest.  His wife, Martha, died in 1782, and in 1784 he accepted a position as U.S. representative to France.  After his service in France, he returned home and became active in politics, eventually serving as the President of the United States from 1801-1809.  As he was nearing the end of his presidency, Jefferson decided that he wanted to build an octagonal retreat home at Poplar Forest.  He came to the plantation from Washington, D.C. in 1806 and helped his brick mason, Hugh Chisolm, lay the foundation for the house.

Jefferson Builds A House at Poplar Forest

After the house was built, Jefferson made three to four trips a year to his retreat.  The journey took three days by carriage, two days by horseback.  Jefferson would generally stay for several weeks and often as long as two months.  During his visits, he had time to enjoy his favorite pastimes -- reading, studying, and thinking.  He kept a portable polygraph, or letter-copying machine, at his retreat to make copies of the letters and documents he wrote.  Jefferson wrote many letters to friends and family.  He had a library of more than 700 books, many in foreign languages such as Latin, Greek, French, and Italian.

On a typical day, Jefferson ate an early breakfast, spent the morning reading and writing, and took a horseback ride at mid-day.  In the late afternoons, he spent time talking with family and neighbors.  After tea and light snacks in the early evening, Jefferson usually read books, visited with his grandchildren who often stayed at the retreat, and went to bed at ten p.m.

The Plantation

Poplar Forest was a large plantation and often needed Jefferson's attention.  About 60-100 enslaved African-Americans lived at Poplar Forest.  They worked in the fields, gardens, and industries such as spinning and weaving, barrel and basket making, and smithing.  The slaves made many of the items they used in their everyday life.  For example, slaves like Bess made butter, Nace made shoes and baskets, while Hal worked as a blacksmith.  All slaves worked in the field during the harvest season.

Tobacco and wheat were grown on the plantation and shipped by bateaux down the James River to be sold in Richmond.  Many garden foods were grown to feed the slaves, workmen, overseers, Jefferson's family, and livestock.  Hogs, sheep, cows, and horses were also raised on the plantation.

Thomas Jefferson made his last visit to Poplar Forest when he was 80 years old in 1823.  He invited his grandson Francis Eppes to live at Poplar Forest.  When Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, he gave Francis the house and 1,074 acres of land at Poplar Forest.