Saturday January 03, 2009
Presidential Homes
Four of the first five U.S. presidents made Virginia their home: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe. Along with the White House, in the area in and around Washington, DC, you can visit Mount Vernon, Washington's home; Woodrow Wilson's home (he was the only President to settle in DC following his presidency); and several other residences and locations in the area closely connected with current and former Presidents.
Additionally, within a few hours' drive of Washington, DC, you can visit several homes and sites that were significant in the lives of Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and other Founding Fathers. You will find information below on Presidential homes as well as other historic homes that may be of interest.
Please note that most of the properties are not open on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year's Day. Hours of operation are usually reduced during the fall and winter months.
Arlington House (the Custis-Lee Mansion) No admission charged; reservations are not required, but groups are limited to 25 at one time. |
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This was the home of Robert E. Lee and his family for 30 years, it was originally built by George Washington Parke Custis as a memorial to his step-grandfather George Washington. It was in this house that Robert E. Lee wrote his resignation letter from the U.S. Army on April 20, 1861. The home is currently empty of furnishings in preparation for a major restoration and rehabilitation project which began in the summer of 2007. The restoration is scheduled to be completed in 2010. |
Ash Lawn-Highland (James Monroe's home) |
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Located in Albemarle County near Monticello and Montpelier approximately two hours southwest of Washington, DC, Ash Lawn-Highland was home to our 5th President James Monroe for nearly a quarter of a century. |
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1651-1653 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC Not open for public tours |
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Blair House is the official state guest house for the President of the United States. It was built in 1824 in the Federal Style, and first served as a private home for Joseph Lovell, the first Surgeon General of the U.S. The name comes from Francis Preston Blair, Sr., who served as a member of Andrew Jackson’s “Kitchen Cabinet” and co-publisher of the Globe, who purchased the property in 1836. The federal government purchased the house in 1942; since then, it has been the primary guest residence for foreign heads of state visiting the President. During Truman’s presidency, it served as the President’s residents while the White House was gutted and rebuilt (1948-52). The home is never open to the public. |
| Berkeley Plantation (Harrison ancestral home) (804) 829-6018 12602 Harrison Landing Road, Charles City, VA 23030 9am-5pm daily; closed Thanksgiving, December 25 Admission charged, $6-11; guided house tours available |
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Considered one of the first great estates in America; the first official Thanksgiving was celebrated here on December 4, 1619. Berkeley Plantation was home to the Harrison family--6th President William Henry Harrison, and his grandson, the 23rd President Benjamin Harrison. |
Ferry Farm (George Washington's home) |
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George Washington's family roots are deep in historic Fredericksburg. He lived on Ferry Farm from six years old to about 19 when he moved to Mount Vernon. |
| Gunston Hall Plantation (George Mason's home) (703) 550-9220 10709 Gunston Road, Mason Neck, VA 22079 9:30am-5pm daily; closed January 1, Thanksgiving, December 25 Admission charged, $4-8; guided house tours available |
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Located 20 miles south of Washington, DC, the home of George Mason is a National Historic Landmark which was constructed in the 1750s. Mason, one of the Founding Fathers, contributed significantly to the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. |
John F. Kennedy residences, Georgetown |
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| During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, John F. Kennedy lived in four different houses in Georgetown. The homes are private residences and not available for tours; so please respect the privacy of the owners. But you can view them from the outside. | |
Kenmore Plantation (Family home of George Washington's sister) |
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This Georgian mansion, built in the 1770s by Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis, George Washington's sister, is famous for its ornate plasterwork ceilings. |
Lincoln's Cottage 140 Rock Creek Church Road, NW, Washington, DC November 1-March 31: 10am-3pm Monday-Saturday; 12-3pm Sunday April 1-October 31: 10am-4pm Monday-Saturday; 12-4pm Sunday Closed January 1, Thanksgiving, December 25 Admission charged, $5-12; advance purchase strongly recommended |
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This cottage, opened to the public in 2008, gives an intimate, never-before-seen view of Abraham Lincoln, who spent most of the summers during his presidency in this cottage, commuting to the White House daily by horseback or carriage. The cottage, formerly known as "Anderson Cottage and located on the grounds of the Soldier's Home, was designated a National Monument in 2000, and opened for public tours in February 2008 after a seven-year, $15 million restoration project. |
Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home) |
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Estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States. Located in Albemarle County, Virginia, approximately two hours from Washington, DC; near Ash Lawn-Highland and Montpelier. |
| Montpelier (James Madison's home) (540) 672-0411 11407 Constitution Highway, Montpelier Station, VA 22957 9:30am-5:30pm April-October; 9:30am-4:30pm November-March; Closed Thanksgiving and December 25 |
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Home of James Madison, 4th President of the United States and the Father of the Constitution. Located about two hours southwest of Washington, DC, in the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, James Madison was raised at Montpelier and lived here for his entire life except during his presidency. |
Mount Vernon (George Washington's home) |
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Home and final resting place of America's 1st President, George Washington. During the time that Washington lived here (more than 45 years), Mount Vernon was an 8,000-acre plantation, which was divided into five farms; each was a complete unit. The farm where Washington and his family lived was called the "Mansion House Farm," and is the part of the plantation that we refer to today as "Mount Vernon." Washington inherited the property from his older half-brother, who named the property in honor of his commanding officer, Admiral Edward Vernon of the British navy. |
| Poplar Forest (Thomas Jefferson's home) (434) 525-1806 1548 Bateman Bridge Road, Forest, VA 24551 10am-4pm Wednesday-Monday, April-November; closed Tuesdays |
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This plantation and octagonal-shaped home near Lynchburg, Virginia, was used as a retreat by our nation's 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson. He considered it "the most valuable" of his possessions and called it "the best dwelling house in the state except that of Monticello." |
| Scotchtown Plantation (Patrick Henry's home) (804) 227-3500 16120 Chiswell Lane, Beaverdam, VA 23015 10am-4:30pm Thursday-Saturday, April-October; closed Easter, Mother’s Day, July 4th |
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Home to Patrick Henry, Virginia's first governor and one of the most well-known orators and patriots, from 1771 to 1778. It is located 11 miles northwest of Ashland, Virginia, in Beaverdam. |
| Stratford Hall Plantation (Lee ancestral home) (804) 493-8038 483 Great House Road, Stratford, VA 22558 9:30am-4pm daily; check website for closures in January and December Admission charged, $4.50-10; guided house tours available |
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This National Historic Landmark was home to the Lee family (Thomas Lee, birthplace of Richard Henry Lee and Robert E. Lee). It is about two hours from Washington, DC. |
| The White House (202) 456-7041 or (202) 456-2121 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 7:30-11:30am Tuesday-Saturday; closed Sundays and Mondays No admission charged; reservations required |
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Every President since John Adams has lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the most famous addresses in the world. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public. President George Washington oversaw construction of the building, but never lived in it. The White House survived a fire set by British troops in 1814 and another fire in the West Wing in 1929. There are 132 rooms, 35 bathroom and six levels, with 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases and three elevators. While it’s now known as The White House (officially given by Theodore Roosevelt in 1901), it has also been known as the President’s Palace, the President’s House, and the Executive Mansion. Self-guided tours include the East Room and the Blue Room. A visit to the White House Visitors Center, located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets, is also a great stop and will greatly enhance your tour experience. Special restrictions apply regarding a White House tour visit; contact my office about reservations, which can be made up to six months in advance. |
| Woodrow Wilson House (202) 387-4062 2340 S St., NW, Washington, DC 10am-4pm Tuesday-Sunday; closed Mondays Admission charged, $3-7.50 |
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This 1915 Georgian Revival home in the Kalorama section of Washington, D.C., was the last home of President Woodrow Wilson. It has been preserved to reflect Wilson's era, and most of the furnishings are original. It has been called a "living textbook of modern American life in the 1920s." |
