Dear Readers, for many years I’ve wanted to visit Poplar Forest, down near Lynchburg. For one reason or another it never happened. Well, thanks to a little extra push from America’s 250th anniversary, I finally made it there! It was a wonderful visit. Here’s the story.

Poplar Forest is the retreat home of Thomas Jefferson, and is a hundred miles (a three-day carriage ride) from Monticello. The octagonal-shaped home is much more intimate than Monticello, and I could easily feel Jefferson’s presence there. Currently the property is relatively small and abuts residential zoning, but back in the day Poplar Forest consisted of 4,800 acres. Much of it was farmed and the profits helped to subsidize the Monticello property.

The house floor plan was interesting. Jefferson had dabbled in architecture for decades at this point – the foundation for Poplar Forest was laid in 1806 – and he designed the home from the ground up to be both symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing. A large dining room occupies the center of the house. Along the exterior walls are bedchambers, a lovely south-facing parlor, and the entryway.

Besides Jefferson’s bedchamber, the others were used by his grandchildren, with whom he often traveled.

My initial thought was, “Why would Thomas Jefferson require a retreat away from Monticello, his lovely mountaintop home? It seems quite remote and beautiful to me.” Well, our docent provided some insight. Back then, when travel was much more difficult, visitors often came to stay for long periods of time. You’ve heard the modern saying, “house guests and fish both begin to stink after three days?” Well, just imagine having visitors in your home for a few weeks or months, which was the norm in Jefferson’s time. Yikes!

The guests were usually relatives or friends, but not always. Jefferson was as famous as a late 17th/early 18th century person could be – he served as both Governor of Virginia and President of the United States, among other accolades. Consequently, strangers often just “showed up” at Monticello to meet him. Apparently back then “being a good host” meant entertaining anyone who knocked on your door, and not turning them away from a meal or bed.

Hmm. Suddenly I began to fully understand why Jefferson might want to get away from his well-known mountain home, to a secluded locale known by few. Can you imagine sharing your home with complete strangers on a regular basis? And even worse, with extended family and friends for long stretches of time (HA!). Yep, I’d be making myself scarce too!

Two of Jefferson’s granddaughters wrote, years later, of their travels to Poplar Forest with their grandfather. They had regular stops along the way, for overnight accommodations or simply pleasant alfresco meals.

And both girls mentioned that he would take them to Lynchburg, “to make some purchase to please us in the shops.” I would imagine in Jefferson’s twilight years he enjoyed the role of grandfather, just as people now do!

Probably the most famous thing about Poplar Forest, is that it served as a hideaway for Jefferson in June 1781.

The British were coming to Monticello to arrest him for treason, but hero Jack Jouett rode 40 miles in the dead of night from Louisa to Monticello to warn Jefferson. I’d say Mr. Jouett’s horse was a hero too! I’ve seen the reenactment of this historical moment at Monticello, and it was riveting! Spoiler alert: Jefferson escaped and the British came up empty handed.

As always, I could easily write more about this subject, but my space is up. So my recommendation to you is, pick a nice day, grab a friend or loved one, and take a day trip to visit Poplar Forest. You won’t regret it!

Laura lives in Zion Crossroads with her husband and two cats. She can be reached at hallielaura@gmail.com.