There’s a surprising show at Virginia’s Historical Society this month – one that will interest fans of Thomas Jefferson. It features aspects of his life that did not involve the public.
Sandy Hausman has details.
Most people know something about Thomas Jefferson’s public life – as Virginia’s second governor, the nation’s first secretary of state or its third president. Less is known about his private concerns, and this show features three of them. First there was his work as a gardener. .
“He introduced 330 varieties of vegetables and herbs. He introduced 125 fruit trees,” says William Rasmussen, lead curator at the historical society in Richmond. “He made careful notations of which ones came to table – which ones worked.”
Rasmussen also points to Jefferson’s work as a writer, sharing three hand written copies of the Declaration of Independence.
“The great thing about his handwriting is you can actually read it, and you can read it easily," he remarks. "Then look at his architectural drawings, and some of the drawings he did – particularly for Monticello and the Virginia capitol here in Richmond -- are exquisite."
Rasmussen says Jefferson was the first American architect to emphasize light, airey spaces, octagons and decks. Even if he had not been a Founding Father, he says, we would remember Jefferson for two buildings designated World Heritage Sites – Monticello and the Lawn at UVA.
“No other American architect has two creation son that list," he explains. "In 1976, the American Institute of Architects asked its members to vote on what was the most important architectural creation in the 200 years and they picked the lawn at the University of Virginia."
The show, called The Private Jefferson, is up until January 22.