Conservation Plan to Preserve Monticello’s Land

A preservation agreement will keep about 1,060 acres surrounding Monticello -- land that was once part of Thomas Jefferson’s plantation -- much as it was in his day.

The nonprofit Thomas Jefferson Foundation announced a plan to place the land surrounding the historic house in conservation easement, which cedes development and division rights to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, a state agency committed to preserving areas of scenic and historical value.

“The mission of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation is preservation and education,” said its president, Dan Jordan. “The easement shows the foundation is looking to the future by protecting Jefferson’s legacy for future generations.”

The areas placed under easement include three separate tracts: a 418-acre parcel known as the Home Farm, the 560-acre Tufton property and 80 acres bordering the Rivanna River. The land was once part of the original Monticello plantation.

“The properties have important archeological resources that could be restored,” Jordan said.

The land is now a mix of woods and open space; further research will reveal “the land known to Jefferson,” Jordan said.

In 2000, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation gave the outdoor foundation an easement on the place of Jefferson’s birth, the 215-acre Shadwell Farm. With the most recent easements, 1,300 of the 2,300 acres owned by the foundation are now permanently protected.