America’s Founding Father Designed This Virginia Estate with 1700s Technology That Still Works Today

Monticello, Virginia

Jefferson’s Monticello isn’t just another historic house tour. It’s a 5,000-acre lab where America’s most curious Founding Father.

This UNESCO site shows off how advanced his mind is: there are indoor privies at a time when they were unheard of. A dome when American architecture didn’t really do domes, and gardens that were basically 18th-century test kitchens.

Monticello sits on top of an 850-foot hill near Charlottesville, Virginia, where it has stood as Thomas Jefferson’s beloved home for over two centuries.Jefferson designed this neoclassical mansion himself after being inspired by Italian architect Andrea Palladio.

Here are some interesting facts about the “Little Mountain.”

Why Jefferson Changed His Mind

Monticello was mostly completed when Jefferson left for France in 1784 to serve as the American minister. During his five-year stay, his architectural views underwent significant transformation, influenced by contemporary Neoclassical architects and the architecture of ancient Roman buildings.

In 1793, Jefferson started designing changes and expansions for Monticello, and construction began in 1796. Much of the original house was demolished, and the final version of the structure was completed in 1809.

The Great Clock

One of Monticello’s iconic features is the Great Clock, designed by Jefferson and built in 1792 by Peter Spruck. Still functional today, it has both an interior and exterior face, regulating the plantation’s schedule.

The exterior face has a single hand for the hour, while the interior features hour, minute, and second hands, reflecting Jefferson’s precision.

The clock is powered by two sets of cannonball-like weights, wound every Sunday with a folding ladder. The right-hand set of weights marks the day, with markers indicating the hours from Sunday to Saturday. The clock is also connected to a Chinese gong that chimes the hour, its sound once reaching three miles, allowing field slaves to hear it.

The Garden Was More Than Just Plants

On Monticello’s south side, you’ll find a massive 1,000-foot garden terrace where Jefferson tried growing all sorts of plants from around the world.

He experimented with various types of peas (his favorite), beans, cabbage, okra, lettuces, artichokes, radishes, tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, and many other vegetables to choose the hardiest and most preferred varieties.

Jefferson cleverly placed the garden on a terrace beneath the main house, where it was protected from the constant winds that typically sweep across the hilltop. This strategic location allowed him to extend his vegetable growing season by two months.

What’s Hidden in the Underground Tunnels

Under Monticello’s east and west sides runs a network of wide tunnels that connect different parts of the house. These passages are about as tall and wide as a modern hallway, with high curved ceilings to keep them strong.

The tunnels led to work areas like the kitchen, smokehouse, and wine storage. Wagons could deliver supplies straight to the storage rooms through these passages, and people could move between different parts of the house without being seen.

The Device That Made Perfect Copies of Letters

In 1804, Jefferson started using a special machine called a polygraph to copy his letters. Think of it as an early photocopier – when he wrote with one pen, another pen connected to it would make an exact copy.

This machine became essential because Jefferson wrote more than 1,200 letters every year after he retired. He loved this invention so much that he suggested improvements to Charles Willson Peale, to make it even better.

Jefferson’s Personal Weather Research Center

For over fifty years, Thomas Jefferson made Monticello the center of his efforts to understand the American climate. He was a dedicated weather observer, recording daily weather observations twice a day at his home.

Jefferson even had a wind vane on the roof connected to a compass rose on the ceiling, enabling him to track wind direction without stepping outside.

Today, Monticello is considered one of 12,000 weather stations under the National Weather Service, which recognizes Jefferson as the “father of weather observers” for his pioneering contributions to systematic climate monitoring.

The Mystery of the Dome Room

At the top of Monticello sits an octagonal room with windows on all sides and a round window in its peaked ceiling. The room is 500 square feet with amazing views of the countryside. While it looks impressive, Jefferson never gave this room a specific purpose.

His grandchildren used it as a play area, and it served as extra storage space. A billiard table was present there, at least into the late 1920s which could suggest that he might have planned to use it as a fancy sitting room or for playing billiards.

How Jefferson Stored His Wine Collection

The wine cellar at Monticello was built to keep wine at the perfect temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. A special dumbwaiter system carried bottles straight up to the dining room when needed.

The cellar had enough space for thousands of bottles, with different sections for wines from France, Italy, and Spain. Jefferson could keep track of every bottle thanks to a smart storage system that included locks and an organization method he designed himself.

The Way Natural Light Reaches Rooms

Jefferson designed Monticello to maximize natural light, featuring large windows, octagonal dome windows, and skylights, particularly in the third-floor bedrooms. The house includes triple-sash windows, allowing sunlight to flood the interior, and the octagonal dome improves light distribution.

Skylights illuminate key rooms, while the design encourages cross-ventilation. Jefferson’s use of bright colors, thick brick walls, and strategic orientation demonstrates his understanding of the climate and commitment to passive design.

How Jefferson Made His Bedroom More Efficient

The main bedroom at Monticello shows how clever Jefferson was at using space. An alcove bed, open on both sides, connects the Bedroom to Jefferson’s Cabinet (or office). A hinged double-door folding screen separates the two rooms when closed.

The room also includes a privy near the bed, one of the first examples of indoor bathroom facilities in America. It features one of the home’s thirteen skylights, and a closet above the bed makes efficient use of space, accessible by ladder.

Why There Were So Many Different Clocks

Jefferson loved keeping precise time, so he put different clocks throughout Monticello. His three notable clocks was all designed or specified by Jefferson himself.

Jefferson’s collection of clocks includes the dual-faced Great Clock in the Entrance Hall, designed to regulate daily routines for both the enslaved and free.

He also owned an Astronomical Case Clock, made by Thomas Voight in 1812, located in his Cabinet. Additionally, inspired by a stolen mantel clock from his Parisian townhouse, Jefferson designed the Obelisk Mantel Clock, crafted by Louis Chantrot, which was placed at the foot of his alcove bed at Monticello.

Even the Plumbing System is Interesting

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello featured three interior privies, called “air closets,” connected to tunnels leading to a masonry “sink.” While Jefferson planned for waste transport, there’s no evidence of a flushing system. Slaves were paid to clean the privies, but the exact waste removal process remains unclear.

Additionally, Monticello had outdoor privies, including the North Privy with a tunnel to the hillside. Though many original fixtures were removed during restorations, Jefferson’s designs and records show his advanced approach to sanitation for the time.