An Evolving Story at One of America's Most Iconic Presidential Residences

As an architecture student at the University of Virginia (UVA), Thomas Jefferson played a significant role in my education. I had to study his designs for both the Academical Village at the university and Monticello, his sprawling 5,000-acre hilltop estate and former plantation. However, my most profound lesson about “TJ” came not from analyzing his architectural style or his famous writings but from a required field trip to Monticello 25 years ago. At that time, the narrative surrounding Jefferson emphasized his achievements, ideals, and family background. As Monticello approaches its 100th anniversary as a historic site, contemporary narratives are weaving in a much broader and more inclusive story.

Throughout my college years, there was significant public discussion regarding Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings, an enslaved young woman with whom he fathered six children. However, my initial tour of Monticello only lightly touched on their connection or the experiences of enslaved people in general. Instead, the tour predominantly highlighted the home’s Palladian architecture, Jefferson’s careful record-keeping, his passion for horticulture, and his vast library, which was among the largest collections of architecture books in the United States during his time. The experience presented an idealized version of the third U.S. president, with minimal acknowledgment of his moral contradictions, including being a strong proponent of liberty while owning hundreds of enslaved individuals.

Towards the end of that first tour, I explored the gardens and Mulberry Row, the central area for work and daily life for enslaved individuals, free laborers, and indentured servants. I distinctly remember pausing at Mulberry Row, contemplating the hardships faced by those compelled to work at Monticello and pondering the identities of those who lived and labored there. I left Monticello with the sense that a crucial part of its narrative was absent.

I was quite taken aback by how significantly the narratives had transformed when I revisited Monticello in 2022 for the national launch of Discover Black Cville, a community-led initiative that emerged in response to recent racial events in Charlottesville, aimed at attracting Black visitors and supporting Black businesses. While Jefferson’s life and significant accomplishments still take center stage, new insights into the lives of enslaved individuals are now being shared in much greater detail. A reconstructed South Wing features The Life of Sally Hemings exhibit and new displays from the Getting Word Oral History Project, both of which were launched in 2018, as well as the Post-1809 Kitchen exhibit, which debuted in 2006.

Brandon Dillard, manager of Historic Interpretation at Monticello, emphasizes the significant impact of historic sites on our understanding of the past. He notes that in the late 1990s, public history began to highlight marginalized narratives, with Black histories increasingly included in the discussions at many historic sites that had once overlooked them. Since 2000, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which oversees Monticello, has mandated that all tour guides incorporate the stories of Sally Hemings and her children into their narratives.

In the Netflix series High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America, Gayle Jessup White, a descendant of Hemings and author of Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant’s Search for Her Family’s Lasting Legacy, reflects on the post-1809 kitchen. Additionally, she feels a deep connection to the Granger/Hemings kitchen, which served as Monticello’s original kitchen.

Excavated only in 2017, this kitchen is where White’s great-great-great grandfather, Peter Hemings, mastered French cooking techniques from his brother James Hemings, an accomplished chef trained in Paris while living with Jefferson. As part of his agreement with Jefferson, James gained his freedom for passing on his culinary knowledge to Peter. White believes that such narratives illustrate how enslaved individuals skillfully navigated and shaped their circumstances to forge meaningful lives.

During my initial visit to Monticello, White shared a story I was unaware of. Enslaved children had the demanding task of making the red bricks used in the construction of Monticello, and the small impressions left by their hands are still visible on the bricks today. White noted, “Two hundred years later, we still see the marks of those children on one of the most recognizable structures in the world,” a building that appears on the reverse side of the U.S. nickel. Dillard suggests that the white brickmakers hired by Jefferson likely relied on enslaved children to mold the bricks, a painstaking job typically carried out by hand using clay and fire.

The significant shift towards moving beyond a singular historical narrative to embrace honest and inclusive stories about Jefferson and the people associated with Monticello has illuminated previously hidden tales. White believes Monticello has excelled in presenting comprehensive narratives that humanize those who have been historically dehumanized. She considers Monticello her ancestral home and wants visitors to recognize that enslaved individuals also regarded Monticello as their home.

Every Monticello tour now incorporates the histories of enslaved individuals, from the standard Highlights Tour to the more comprehensive Behind the Scenes Tour. Dillard feels these tours prompt visitors to reflect on the enduring impacts of race-based slavery that continue to challenge American society today. He also believes that Sally Hemings’s story offers valuable insights into understanding slavery and the resilience of enslaved people and their descendants.

While my second visit to Monticello didn’t alter my perception of Jefferson, it did offer a clearer view of the realities faced by enslaved individuals on one of the most well-documented plantations in the U.S. Including such diverse perspectives enables us to preserve, comprehend, and honor the histories and contributions of underrepresented groups in our world.