Edgemont
Edgemont, a historic house located in Albemarle County, Virginia, was built around 1796 and has long been believed to have been designed by Thomas Jefferson.
James Powell Cocke, the owner of Edgemont at the time that it was built, acquired the land from Robert Nelson sometime between 1770 and 1782. The house is a combination of French and Palladian architectural styles.[1] Although there is no definitive evidence to prove that Jefferson designed the building, his letters and drawings,[2] as well as similarities to other Jefferson architectural designs, have led many architectural historians to the conclusion that the design is probably Jefferson's.[3]
In 1936, the house was "discovered" by architect Milton Grigg in a state of disrepair. Grigg restored the property in 1938 for its owner, Dr. Graham Clark, and again in 1946, after the house was purchased by William Snead. In addition to historic restorations, Grigg designed two new porticoes to match the existing south and east porticoes that were part of the original construction.[4] Grigg also restored the terraced gardens based on historic and archaeological evidence.[5]
Further Sources
- Friedman, Daniel. "House for Sale." Albemarle Monthly vol. 2, no. 4 (1979): 53-56.
- Kramer, Jennifer. "Historic Architecture: Edgemont." Architectural Digest vol. 35 (1996): 70-78.
- Page, Marian. Historic Houses Restored and Preserved. New York: Whitney Library of Design, 1976. See pages 99-104.
- Search for more sources on Edgemont in the Thomas Jefferson Portal.
References
- ^ Calder Loth, ed., The Virginia Landmarks Register, 4th ed. (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999), 12.
- ^ See drawings Edgemont: house (plan and elevation), circa 1803-1806, by Thomas Jefferson, N7; K171 [electronic edition]; Edgemont: house (plan), circa 1803-1806, by Thomas Jefferson, N8; K172 [electronic edition]; Edgemont: house (plan), circa 1803-1806, by Thomas Jefferson, N9; K173 [electronic edition]; Edgemont: basement (plan), circa 1803-1806, by Thomas Jefferson, N10; K174 [electronic edition], Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003).
- ^ K. Edward Lay, The Architecture of Jefferson Country: Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2000), 90, 138-39.
- ^ Lay, Jefferson Country, 139.
- ^ Edgemont, The Virginia Department of Historic Resources.