Almost everyone knows what it’s like to prepare for a big event: a milestone birthday, wedding, graduation, etc. The host agonizes over guest lists, seating charts, entertainment, menus, etc. for months. There seems to be an endless list of things to do before the big day.
The hours leading up the party evaporate. Before you know it, you’re right in the middle of this celebration you planned and anticipated for months. Suddenly, it’s over. Just a few short hours flew by in an instant. You feel just the slightest bit of a letdown, even though your plans turned out perfectly. 
This is exactly how we feel about Constitution Day. We spend months planning the perfect day to commemorate the Constitution’s signing. We receive delighted visitors for hours. Then it’s all over in what seems like a matter of minutes. Another Constitution Day came and went, but we feel just slightest twinge of sadness, knowing it’s all over until next year.
We are happy to announce that we discovered a way to fix the letdown problem. Instead of Constitution Day, we’ll celebrate Constitution Month! That will never end, right? Continue Reading…
Posted September 2, 2010 at 7:48 pm. 2 comments
A runner’s checklist:
Sneakers: check
Water bottle: check
Comfy shorts & tee: check
iPod: check
A copy of the Constitution: ?
Wait, a copy of the Constitution? Of course! If you’re going to race in the Constitution Run at Montpelier, why wouldn’t you be uber-prepared and bring along a copy of the Constitution?! 
We’re inviting runners of all ages to come to Montpelier on September 12 to be a part of this first-ever event. The Constitution Run will be a 5K. There will also be special races for kids and dogs too. Kids ages 5–10 (and their parents) can race in Dolley’s Dash, a 1K designed for little track stars of all skill levels. Dogs and their owners can trot together in the 1K Dogathon. We have a feeling we might hear “heel” a lot during this race… Continue Reading…
Posted August 9, 2010 at 11:16 am. 2 comments
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
Constitution Day 2009 was all about the kids. Last week, two hundred fourth-and-fifth graders from the Orange County School System traveled to Montpelier to celebrate the birthday of the Constitution, September 17, 1787.
Bentley Boyd illustrates for a group of students in the Grand Salon
The students spent the day learning about the Constitution through special hands-on activities with Montpelier’s education staff. The morning also included a special session with Bentley Boyd, creator of Chester Comix, a comic book series focused on history. After lunch, the kids headed to the mansion, where they enjoyed Montpelier’s Constitution Day celebration from the best seats in the house- the mansion front steps.
Continue Reading…
Posted September 24, 2009 at 2:05 am. 1 comment
Constitutional Exhibit
Now open in the south wing room of the house (M118), which is accessible from the back yard, is our exhibit “James Madison: Architect of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights”.
Those of you who visited Montpelier prior to April, 2009, may have seen the exhibit in our Education Center. The exhibit is self-guided, with commentary available on the audio tour. The exhibit describes James Madison’s role in the development, writing, and implementation of two of America’s most important documents – the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In addition to text, the exhibit uses images and excerpts from historical documents.
The room is arranged so that you can view the exhibit at your leisure and utilize the chairs. We hope our visitors will discuss the exhibit, the Constitution, or James Madison with each other. In the future we would like to have staff lead discussions with our visitors that would include topics relevant to how the Constitution affects us today.
Shutters
Gene Lyman stamps the top of a shutter
The shutters continue to be hung. This week they are installing more shutters on the front of the house
Since the shutters and their fittings are handmade, each shutter only fits in one window of the house. Thus, both window and shutter are assigned an identifier code. Stamping the shutters allows them to be removed to be repainted or fixed and then be returned to their correct location.
Posted May 14, 2009 at 10:05 am. 2 comments
