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Montpelier's Owners

The Madison Family (1732-1844), 121 years

Henry W. Moncure (1844-1848), 4 years

Henry Wood Moncure (1800-1866) was a merchant from Richmond. Initially, he was deeded 750 acres under the condition that the title to the property would remain unencumbered. The agreement also contained the condition that Moncure could rent a portion of the house for three years until final payments had been made. It should be noted that he purchased not only the land and the house, but also many of the slaves and much of the personal property, including furniture.

Evidently Payne Todd caused so much trouble that, after numerous attempts to sabotage the sale, Dolley sold it outright to Moncure in August 1844. In a touching note to Mr. Moncure, Dolley asks to come to Montpelier saying she wanted 'to return for a short time in order to assist in the arrangements of the household contents which must be in confusion — some of which I wish to retain." She continued, "No one I think can appreciate my feeling of grief and dismay at the necessity of transferring to another a beloved home."

Benjamin Thornton (1848-1854), 6 years

Moncure sold Montpelier to Benjamin Thornton of Gomersall, Leeds, England on October 14, 1848. Included with the property was some of the Madison furniture that Moncure had purchased.

William H. Macfarland (1854-1855), 1 year

William H. Macfarland (1799-1872) was a prominent and wealthy banker from Richmond. He purchased Montpelier on January 4, 1854. A native Virginian, Macfarland's purchase of Montpelier from the Englishman Thornton was enthusiastically supported in the local press. The Charlottesville Jeffersonian and Fredericksburg News noted:

"MONTPELIER: W. H. Macfarland has purchased Montpelier, the former residence of James Madison, Esq., the fourth president of the U.S.A. We are glad that this estate has fallen into the hands of a Virginian and it is hoped that a suitable monument may now be erected over the remains of Virginia's eminent statesman and patriot."

It is interesting to observe that Macfarland was the man who gave Madison's eulogy in 1836 at a memorial service in Richmond. He only remained at the property for a little more than a year, and his use or impact upon it is unclear.

Alfred V. Scott (1855-1857), 2 years

Macfarland sold Montpelier to Col. Alfred Vernon Scott (?-1860) by deed on March 21, 1855. Scott, his wife Rebecca Ballard Nixon, and their children moved to Montpelier from Alabama. Again, the tenure of these residents was brief, and by August 1, 1857 the property had been sold to Thomas J. Carson and the Scott family moved to Washington, D.C.

Thomas J. Carson and Frank Carson (1857-1881), 23 years

Thomas J. Carson, a native of Ireland, immigrated to the United States and was a banker in Baltimore at the time he bought Montpelier. Following the start of the Civil War, he remained in Baltimore and Montpelier became the home of his eccentric bachelor brother, Frank Carson. Confederate troops intermittently camped at Montpelier during the war, and it was apparently also a popular touring place for other soldiers and for refugees. For these reasons, more descriptions of Montpelier exist for the Carson period than for any other time between the Madison and duPont ownerships.

It is during this time that substantial changes to the house can be noted, including the alteration of the portico. The Madison cemetery also seems to have been neglected. This was just the beginning, and the economic hard times of the post-war era saw the value of Montpelier fall from $8,000 in 1857 to $3,500 in 1881, the final year of the Carson ownership. Frank Carson died in February of 1881, at age 62, and was buried in the Madison Family Cemetery. He is the only non-Madison with a marked grave in the cemetery.

Louis F. Detrick and William L. Bradley (1881-1900), 19 years

The last 19th-century owners were the business partners Louis F. Detrick of Baltimore and William L. Bradley of Boston. These gentlemen were in the fertilizer business and they and their families used Montpelier as a summer retreat.

Extensive remodeling and redecorating was done during this period, the exact scope of which is still being researched. Interior walls were moved and doors were bricked-in, completely changing the layout. It is thought that the present stairways to the second floor were added at this time. This work was so sweeping that by 1896-1897, an article in Architectural Record notes that "The interior of Montpelier has been remodeled out of all semblance to its original self."

Charles King Lennig (1900), 1 year

Lennig was William duPont's secretary and agent in the purchase of Montpelier. While he nominally owned the property, he never lived at Montpelier and made no changes.

The duPont Family (1901-1983), 82 years

William duPont bought Montpelier in January 1901, and the duPont family retained the property until the death of Marion duPont Scott in 1983. The duPonts preserved and made many changes to the property during the 82-year ownership. Read more about this dynamic American family...

National Trust for Historic Preservation (1984-Present)

The National Trust for Historic Preservation took ownership of Montpelier in 1984 in keeping with the desires of Marion duPont Scott as expressed in her will. The National Trust retains ownership today, while The Montpelier Foundation operates the property.