The response to our last post on the wallpaper was tremendous– particularly from our Facebook fans! We are thrilled that you are all so interested and involved in the “Presidential Detective Story!” Readers asked a lot of good questions, and we hope to address them with this post.
Many people said they like the yellow wallpaper displayed in the Madisons’ Dining Room. This paper is French or American, circa 1800-1810. Of the three papers on the wall, it seems to be the most modern. Some of you commented that the yellow paper would match Dolley’s china. Although the reproductions of James and Dolley’s Nast china are yellow tinted, the original pieces are more of a salmon color, as you can see in the photograph of the Nast tureen which Montpelier owns. 
Peter Meyerhof asked, “Since a speck of original scarlet wallpaper was found in the drawing room, why isn’t there a sample with a red background being considered here?” This is a great question. We know the Madisons liked red and used it in several rooms in their house, however, it is unlikely they used it in every room. During the Madisons’ time in the President’s House they used several different color schemes throughout the house. We also have other fragments of Madison-era wallpapers that were found in a rats’ nest at Montpelier. Both fragments are multicolored, but not large enough to see a pattern. These are small clues, but they lead us to believe the Montpelier interiors were decorated in a variety of colors. If we chose red for both the Drawing and Dining Rooms – the two major public rooms in the house–we could overuse that color. Continue Reading…
Posted June 4, 2010 at 4:40 pm. 3 comments
It’s been said that behind every great man is a woman. In James Madison’s case, that fabulous woman was Dolley Madison. This Thursday, May 20, marks Dolley Madison’s 242nd birthday. Montpelier will celebrate with free cake in the Visitor Center, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Also, if you were born on May 20, Thursday is your lucky day because your admission to Montpelier will be free.
Now, let’s talk about just who Dolley Madison was. In her time, she was the most popular person in the country. What made her so famous?
The short answer is Dolley Madison was Washington’s first female power player. Her famous “squeezes” (very popular parties) helped political adversaries broker civil compromises in a social setting. She also showed extraordinary courage. When the British invaded Washington in 1814, she rescued George Washington’s portrait, with the help of her slave Paul Jennings, just before the White House burned. Continue Reading…
Posted May 18, 2010 at 9:53 pm. Add a comment
We know the Madisons had mirrors in the Drawing Room. We just aren’t sure how many hung there. A few days ago Montpelier rounded up a team of experts to tackle this latest mystery in the Presidential Detective Story: Mark R. Wenger, architect and architectural historian, Gardiner Hallock, independent researcher and former Director of Architectural Research at Montpelier, and Lance Humphries, an independent researcher and expert on early 19th century American art collections.
The mirror trail begins with Montpelier visitor accounts. We know at least two mirrors hung in the Drawing Room. Our first witness, John H. B. Latrobe, described the room to a friend in an 1832 letter, saying “Its walls are covered with paintings, save where two immense mirrors, on the side at which you enter, conceal large portions.” 1 Latrobe’s description referred to the wall opposite of the triple hung windows. Continue Reading…
Posted May 13, 2010 at 3:10 pm. 1 comment
Have you noticed a lot of people are talking about the Constitution these days? So have we and we couldn’t be happier that people realize it’s still relevant more than 220 years after it was ratified by the people of the United States. It’s on the news, around the dinner table, on the bus, and in the coffee shop. People are saying “I believe such-and-such because it’s in the Constitution.”
Sadly, the conversation often ends with “it’s in the Constitution,” as if that’s the winning grand slam in the bottom of the 9th. Really it should be the beginning of a thought-provoking debate, not the end to an argument.
Our fast-paced society leads us to trust our news sources without necessarily verifying their claims. Sometimes our journalists and politicians do not have a deep understanding of the Constitution and it is our duty as civically engaged people to check up on them. Continue Reading…
Posted May 6, 2010 at 5:25 pm. 4 comments
If you come to Montpelier today and take a house tour, you might be surprised when you enter the Dining Room. Strips of reproduction woodblock wallpaper hang on the Dining Room walls. Each has a very busy pattern. Some of the patterns are accompanied by the border papers frequently seen in early-19th-century wallpapers. So what’s going on?
We couldn’t find any evidence of paint or white wash on the walls. This means the Dining Room, like the Drawing Room, was probably papered. Visitor accounts tell us Dolley Madison served a variety of sumptuous meals there. They also say the Dining and Drawing Room walls boasted a variety of art. Incredibly, none of these accounts tells us anything about the walls under the art!
Continue Reading…
Posted May 3, 2010 at 4:34 pm. 6 comments
The new Montpelier Demonstration Forest Trail is finally open and ready for visitors! As we mentioned in previous posts, the trail, is a one-mile loop that extends from the James Madison Landmark Forest. The trail has four sites that show the best ways to manage a healthy forest:
• Wildlife Meadow (an open space with lots of wildflowers and grasses)
Offers an abundance of food and shelter thanks to its vibrant wildflowers and grasses. It’s an ideal place for birds such as turkey and quail to look for food or hide from larger predators that live in the surrounding woods. Continue Reading…
Posted April 28, 2010 at 10:58 am. Add a comment
We have been talking about it for a year and it’s almost ready… Montpelier’s Demonstration Forest Trail will finally open on April 17! The Trail is an outdoor exhibit that shows the best ways to manage a healthy, sustainable forest through “demonstration sites” along the trail. The Montpelier Demonstration Forest Trail runs along a one-mile loops that extends from the James Madison Landmark Forest. 
To celebrate, Montpelier will host a day of family fun with trail tours, an opening ceremony with Former U.S. Senator John Warner, reception, and barbeque dinner. The mansion and new Children’s Getaway will stay open until 7:00 p.m.
In addition to his career as a U.S. Senator, Warner also served as an assistant U.S. attorney, Undersecretary of the Navy, and Secretary of the Navy. He has also supported numerous conservation measures. The National Wildlife Federation named him its 2009 Conservationist of the Year.
Admission to Montpelier, the opening ceremony, and reception will be $16 for adults; $8 for children 6-14; $10 for Virginia Garden Club Tour Ticketholders with tickets; and free for Children 5 and under and Friends of Montpelier. The barbeque dinner will be $25 for adults and $10 for children 14 and under. For more information, please visit the Montpelier Web site.
We hope lots of old and new friends will join us for a great day of outdoor fun! Next week, we will post an insider’s view of the new forest, so stay tuned!
Posted April 13, 2010 at 3:37 pm. Add a comment
Dolley Madison was known for her fine entertaining. She always served exquisite wine to her dinner guests. Last week, Montpelier introduced two private label Virginia wines that Mrs. Madison would have been proud to serve: the Montpelier Chardonnay and Montpelier Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Montpelier Chardonnay is a dry white wine that is crisp and fruity with no oak aging. It is an excellent complement to chicken, veal, fettuccine, and baked ham.
The Montpelier Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic red wine aged in white oak barrels. It is dry and clean with a spicy, dried berry taste. It complements lasagna, beef, lamb, and cheese.
The Montpelier Cabernet Sauvignon and Montpelier Chardonnay are produced and bottled by the award-winning Barboursville Vineyards. Visitors may purchase the new wines in the Montpelier Museum Shop.
Posted April 1, 2010 at 11:35 pm. Add a comment
By now you probably know 2010 is a census year. Did you also know the Constitution calls for a census? Article I, Section 2 states, “The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.”
Last week, U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves visited Montpelier to shoot a video for the Census Web site. The Census Bureau released the video on James Madison’s 259th birthday.
The shoot happened in the Montpelier second floor library, where Madison researched past democracies. This research laid the framework for the Virginia Plan.
Posted March 18, 2010 at 6:34 pm. Add a comment
On March 16, 1751 Nelly Conway Madison gave birth to her firstborn, James Madison, Jr. She had the baby at her parents’ Port Conway, Virginia home. Nelly or “Mother Madison” and her new baby returned to James Sr. at Mount Pleasant later that spring.
259 years later, James Madison’s Montpelier commemorated the birthday of the “Father of the Constitution.” Former Deputy Secretary of Education Eugene Hickok addressed all who gathered to remember the late president. Quantico Marine Corps Base Chief of Staff Col. Thompson Gerke laid a wreath on Madison’s grave on behalf of President Obama.
Photo by Jen Fariello/The Montpelier Foundation.
The U.S. Marine Corps has a longstanding tradition of attending this annual ceremony, due to the Corps’ founding connection with James Madison. During America’s early history, pirates of the Barbary States located along the North African coast — which included Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli —preyed upon the merchant ships sailing the Mediterranean Sea. In fact, these terrorist actions had been ongoing for hundreds of years. Rather than confront the pirates, the United States and European governments paid “tributes” — extortion money — to the pirates for protection. Continue Reading…
Posted March 17, 2010 at 12:32 pm. 1 comment
