While Monticello was Thomas Jefferson’s “little mountain,” the nearby Montalto, which Jefferson also acquired, has its own story. Monticello guide Kyle Chattleton shares Jefferson’s different visions for this mountain, including the construction of an observatory and an elaborate series of waterfalls.
Jefferson's Designs for Observation Towers on Montalto
Jefferson, Thomas. Monticello: observation tower, 1 sheet, 2 pages, probably 1771. N65; K38. Dimensions: 36.6 cm x 23 cm (14-3/8" x 9-1/16"). Original manuscript from the Coolidge Collection of Thomas Jefferson Manuscripts, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Monticello: castellated tower, [1778], by Thomas Jefferson. N93; K64 [electronic edition]. Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive. Boston, Mass. : Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003. http://www.thomasjeffersonpapers.org/
Jefferson, Thomas. Monticello: observation tower, 1 sheet, 2 pages, circa 1771. N66; K39. Dimensions: 36.5 cm x 23 cm (14-3/8" x 9-1/16"). Original manuscript from the Coolidge Collection of Thomas Jefferson Manuscripts, Massachusetts Historical Society. Rendering of an observation tower, with specifications and notes on verso; never built.
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This podcast was made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
