Madison's Montpelier

The understanding of Montpelier’s physical evolution is continually unfolding. Before 1987, when the National Trust contracted for the first architectural investigation into what was then the duPont house, little was known about the configuration of the house during President Madison's lifetime. Five separate explorations were carried out prior to start of the restoration, some using many of the same techniques employed in traditional archaeology. With each attempt, new and sometimes surprising information was found. The most extensive of these investigations took place in 2001-2002 and produced a fifteen-volume report that meticulously detailed the evolution of the mansion. Additional investigations were on-going throughout the restoration, and have resulted in an even deeper understanding of President Madison's home.

In addition to the physical evidence uncovered during the 2001-2002 architectural investigation, a survey of available primary source documents on the main house was also made prior to the restoration. These documents include visitor accounts, letters to and from the Madisons, and bills from various contractors. Together, the studies have identified three construction episodes during the Madison ownership and alterations made by the mansion's subsequent owners.

These investigations have discovered that there were three different periods of construction during Montpelier’s ownership by the Madisons. The first portion of the house, consisting of four rooms on the first floor arranged around a central passage, was constructed in 1764 by James Madison’s father. The second construction period occurred circa 1797 when James Madison built a 30-foot extension onto his father’s house. Finally, President Madison undertakes a massive renovation to Montpelier starting circa 1809 after he is elected president. During this renovation, the one-story wings were added onto each side of the house; the drawing room was created from two of the 1764 rooms; and all but one of the windows were re-aligned and re-sized to create a symmetrical exterior appearance.

Phase I (1764-1797)

The original Madison home as it is believed to have appeared from 1764-1797. (Montpelier Foundation and PartSense Inc.)

The oldest part of Montpelier was built around 1764 for President Madison's father James Madison, Sr. Upon completion it was the largest brick dwelling in Orange County, reflecting the family's high status in the community. The senior Madison, who was a planter and county official, may have designed and supervised the construction of the mansion. Plantation records also indicate that at least two of the senior Madison's slaves, George and Peter, were carpenters and these men were almost certainly involved in the project.

At this stage, the two-story brick house was built over a cellar with four rooms and a central passage on the first floor. An enclosed stair ascended to a second floor that contained five living spaces. Instead of a central passage, the second floor had an irregular circulation space at the head of the stair that gave access to five bedrooms and a large closet. Crowning the structure was a low, shingle-covered hipped roof with a chimney stack at either end.

Phase II (1797-1800)

Thirty feet were added to the northeast of the house by future President James Madison in 1797 when he returned to Montpelier after serving in the House of Representatives. The brick addition was laid out with a side-passage plan similar to an urban 18th century row house. The 1765 hip roof was extended across the new addition and two new chimney stacks were constructed on the northern end. The addition provided a separate household for James and Dolley, including a dining room and chamber downstairs and two chambers upstairs. To unify the expanded house, and give it a visual center, a large Tuscan portico was added to the front of the house. A visitor to Montpelier in 1807 also records that James Madison designed the portico, and so he may have laid out the rest of the addition as well.

James Madison's papers from this period identify the following workmen involved with the construction: L. Whitten (a carpenter and floor layer), Reuben Chewning (a carpenter and roofer recommended by Thomas Jefferson), Mr. Richardson (a plasterer, stone mason, and brick mason) and plasterer William Lumsden. A man named "Wash,” possibly a slave, is also noted as a plasterer working at Montpelier during this time.

Montpelier as it is believed to have appeared from 1797-1808. (Montpelier Foundation and PartSense Inc.)

In researching a historic house, a variety of documents may be used. Especially useful, when they exist, are early fire insurance records, as these contain diagrams, measurements, and sometimes sketches of buildings—information that may not be found anywhere else.

The idea of fire insurance is not new. In Virginia, such records may date to the late 18th century. The earliest Virginia insurance company was the Mutual Assurance Society of Richmond, which issued fire insurance policies beginning in the late 1790s. Three Mutual Assurance policies survive for Montpelier. As was typical for these policies, only a rough sketch plan of buildings is shown. The oldest policy, dated 30 May 1799, was issued to "James Maddison" (Sr.), for his "One Building [the main house] on my Plantation Called Montpelier, now occupied by myself..." The house, valued at $6,000, was described as "A Brick Dwellinghouse 33 by 86 [feet] Two stories high. Covered with wood [e.g., wooden shingles]." This policy reflects Montpelier after the c.1797 renovations and enlargements. The front portico is shown on the policy, indicating that it was complete by that date.

A reevaluation was issued on 26 April 1808 to "Nelly Madison Widow & Relict of James Madison senr. Decd., residing at Mont Pelier in the County of Orange and James Madison Jr. residing at the City of Washington in the District of Columbia." Again, only the dwelling house, valued at $5,500, was insured. The front portico is listed as being "47 feet long by 18 feet wide." A "Brick Kitchen 16 feet square, covered with wood" with a "covered way, 16 by 6 feet" across its front is noted south of the house.

Phase III (1809-1812)

Montpelier as it is believed to have appeared from 1809-1812. (Montpelier Foundation and PartSense Inc.)

Changes during the third construction period included interior renovations to include a large drawing room and the construction of one-story wings at each end of the house. Many of these changes were initiated due to Madison's new standing as the president of the United States and they reflect the need to accommodate the additional guests that his new status would bring. Additionally, the changes reflect President Madison's wish to unify his father's circa 1764 house with his circa 1797 additions into a singular dwelling. Surviving letters and a bill reveal that James Dinsmore and John Neilson (master joiners); Hugh Chisholm (bricklayer), plus a workman named William Howard; a boy, Billey; and another boy John, as the primary craftsmen for these renovations and additions.

The new wing cellars also housed a kitchen in each wing, bringing cooking facilities into the main house for the first time. The new drawing room and a small entry were formed from the two northern rooms of the circa 1764 house. A new Federal-style doorway with oval fanlight and glazed sidelights was also added at this time to create new, centralized entry into the mansion. Other changes included a colonnade added to the back of the house, and the enlargement and realignment of all but one of the main block windows.

The final insurance policy, reflecting these changes, was issued on 10 September 1813 in the name of James Madison. Again, only the "Mount Pelier" dwelling house was shown, but, with the various changes and additions, it was now valued at $15,000. The brick kitchen shown in the 1808 policy no longer appears.