Press Releases
Poplar Forest Breaks Attendance Record in 2009 -
As Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest prepares to open for tours April 1, officials have announced that more than 30,000 people visited the National Historic Landmark in 2009, an unprecedented increase of 50% from the prior year. It was Poplar Forest’s highest visitation ever, since the Founding Father’s restored personal retreat near Lynchburg, Virginia, first opened for tours in 1986. Total visitation figures include general admission, adult and school groups, and on-site event participation.
In 2009, Poplar Forest celebrated the 200th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s retirement from public office and first stay in the unique retreat home that he has designed while President of the United States. Poplar Forest’s 200th Anniversary also commemorated Thomas Jefferson’s 1809 retirement from the Presidency and his departure from the White House following a lifetime of public service.
Poplar Forest was an important part of Jefferson's life after public service, where he pursued his favorite past-times of reading, writing and thinking, and spent time with his grandchildren. The house at Poplar Forest is one of the first octagonal homes in America and many scholars, historians and leading preservationists consider it an architectural masterpiece that represents the culmination of Thomas Jefferson’s mature skills as an architect.
“The 200th Anniversary of Poplar Forest was an important year and we are honored that so many people chose to celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s extraordinary legacy with us,” said Lynn A. Beebe, President of Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest. “The moment marked a major milestone in the ongoing restoration and archaeology that continue to significantly enhance our collective understanding of one of the most important people, and places, in our nation’s history.”
Poplar Forest commemorated its 200th Anniversary with a number of special events and programs intended to help visitors better understand the private, personal side of Thomas Jefferson, and enable them to more fully appreciate the significant contributions that Jefferson made to the fabric of America well after he left the Presidency.
On April 1 of last year, then-Virginia Governor Tim Kaine officially kicked off the 200th Anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest by unveiling with a ceremonial ribbon cutting the completed, world-class restoration of the exterior of Jefferson’s retreat home. With hundreds of visitors looking on and Thomas Jefferson (portrayed by Bill Barker of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation), by his side, Governor Kaine gave an emotional speech from the home’s original portico about the importance of Poplar Forest to America and the lasting impact that Thomas Jefferson has had on Kaine’s own life and career.
Other popular 200th Anniversary events included Conversations with Thomas Jefferson in May, Poplar Forest’s annual Independence Day Celebration on July 4th, and an outdoor concert by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in October. In November, 2009, Poplar Forest hosted the inaugural Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival featuring the Bedford Wine Trail and regional Virginia wineries, local artisans and crafters and food purveyors. The event attracted nearly 2,000 people and proved to be such a success that Poplar Forest is hosting the 2nd annual Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival in November of this year.
Other important 200th Anniversary initiatives in 2009 were: the construction of the “curtilage fence,” a reproduction of the fence bordering the ornamental landscape that Jefferson designed at the heart of his Poplar Forest retreat; and GPS-guided handheld tours of the property’s pre-restoration landscape, that show audio and video clips highlighting archaeological finds and information about the plantation community. In 2009, Poplar Forest also was featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Southern Living and in an Associated Press national feature story.
Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest will kick off the 2010 season, and its third century of making history, on April 1, 2010, when the house and grounds reopen to visitors. Visit www.poplarforest.org for more information on Poplar Forest’s history, its 2010 programs and how to plan a visit this year to Thomas Jefferson’s personal retreat.
About Poplar Forest
Poplar Forest is Thomas Jefferson's secluded plantation and retreat home. Poplar Forest is a National Historic Landmark that was recently added to the U.S. nomination list to become a World Heritage Site. Exhibiting award-winning restoration and archaeology, Poplar Forest offers tours, special events and school outreach programs. Open April through November, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays (closed) and Thanksgiving Day (holiday). For more information about Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest, call (434) 525-1806 or visit www.poplarforest.org.
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