Highland (James Monroe house) facts for kids
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Highland
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Highland, formerly Ash Lawn–Highland. Note: The yellow wing was added on by later owners.
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Southeast of Charlottesville off VA 53, near Simeon, Virginia |
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| Area | 200 acres (81 ha) |
| Built | 1799 |
| Architect | James Monroe |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001990 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 14, 1973 |
Highland, once known as Ash Lawn–Highland, is a historic home near Charlottesville, Virginia. It was the estate of James Monroe, an important leader in early American history. Monroe was one of the Founding Fathers and the fifth president of the United States.
Monroe bought the land in 1793. He and his family moved to Highland in 1799. They lived there for 25 years. Monroe had to sell the property in 1825 because of money problems. After selling Highland, he spent much of his time at his other large estate, Oak Hill, near Leesburg, Virginia.
Monroe originally named his home "Highland." For many years after his death, it was called Ash Lawn-Highland or just Ash Lawn. In 2016, its name was changed back to James Monroe's Highland. Today, the College of William & Mary, where Monroe studied, owns and manages the estate.
Contents
History of Highland Estate
Monroe's Home: How Highland Began
James Monroe bought 1,000 acres of land next to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in 1793. His close friend, Thomas Jefferson, encouraged him to buy it. Monroe paid 1,000 pounds for the land. Six years later, in 1799, Monroe and his family moved to the property. They lived there for 25 years.
In 1800, Monroe described his first home. It was a wooden house, 40 by 30 feet, with brick inside the walls. It also had a wooden wing, 34 by 18 feet. Over the next 16 years, Monroe added more to his home. He built stone cellars and a second story. He also bought more land, owning over 3,500 acres at one point. However, by 1815, Monroe began selling land to pay off his debts. By 1825, he had to sell all of Highland.
Enslaved People at Highland
Highland was a working farm that relied on the labor of 30 to 40 enslaved people. Their homes no longer exist today. The enslaved people who worked in the fields lived further from the main house. Those who worked inside the house lived closer to the Monroe family's home.
Highland After Monroe's Time
Edward O. Goodwin bought Highland from Monroe. He sometimes called the property "North Blenheim." When he bought it, Monroe described Highland as having a comfortable house and other buildings. These included servant quarters, stables, barns, a mill, and homes for workers. Everything was in good condition.
Goodwin sold the house and 600 acres in 1834. It was sold again in 1837 to Alexander Garrett. Garrett gave the property its second name, "Ash Lawn." Over the next 30 years, Ash Lawn–Highland was sold many times. In 1867, John E. Massey bought it. The Massey family owned it for 63 years. During their time, they added to the house, giving it its current look.
In 1930, Jay Winston Johns, a generous person from Pittsburgh, bought Highland. The Johns family soon opened the house for public tours. When Johns passed away in 1974, he left the property to the College of William and Mary. This was James Monroe's old college. Highland was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Highland Today: A Living Museum
Today, Highland includes several buildings. There is an 1818 guest house, an addition from the 1850s, and a Victorian-style farmhouse from the 1870s. The property also has reconstructed buildings. These include a three-bay slave quarter, an ice house, an overseer's cabin, and a smokehouse.
Highland has been shown on TV. It was featured in Bob Vila's Guide to Historic Homes of America. It also appeared in C-SPAN's Cities Tour, Charlottesville.
In 2016, the name Ash Lawn-Highland was changed. It became James Monroe's Highland. This change helps people remember that it was the home of President James Monroe.
Today, Highland is a 535-acre working farm and museum. It also hosts art performances. The College of William and Mary operates it. Visitors can explore Highland year-round, though hours are limited from October to March.
Finding Monroe's Original Home
For a long time, people thought the current main house was part of Monroe's original home. But archaeologists found something new. They discovered the foundations of a much larger house. This suggests that the current building was actually a guest house.
Other clues also support this idea. The way the current house was built suggests it was made after Monroe moved into his main mansion in 1799. Also, scientists used dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) on the wood. This showed the existing structure was built from trees cut between 1815 and 1818.
