#Monticello Homes

[redlow-group-blogs]

How to Choose the Best Monticello Home for Your Lifestyle

Choosing a home is about more than just location; it’s about finding the perfect fit for your lifestyle and future plans. Monticello offers diverse housing options, each with unique benefits. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the choices and select the home that best aligns with your lifestyle.

Assessing Your Needs and Preferences

Consider your daily routines, family needs, and personal interests. Key factors to evaluate:

Family Size: Is the home spacious enough for your family to live comfortably?

Proximity to Schools: Families with children may prioritize access to quality schools and child-friendly neighborhoods.

Community Amenities: Look for nearby parks, gyms, or recreational facilities if you enjoy an active lifestyle.

Privacy and Noise Level: Determine if a quieter, more private setting or a bustling urban atmosphere suits you best.

Monticello Neighborhoods to Explore

Monticello has neighborhoods catering to various lifestyles:

Downtown Monticello: Ideal for those who enjoy a lively atmosphere, with access to restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

Suburban Areas: Great for families seeking a quieter, residential environment with parks and schools nearby.

Rural Outskirts: Perfect for those desiring ample land, scenic views, or an agricultural lifestyle.

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[thaliawashere]

Green painted floors at Jefferson's Monticello.

[ourcaptainisabelle]

Jeffersons Monticello was the 1800's version of Smart Home, and you can't tell my otherwise.

A house full of new revolutionary inventions designed to make life easier? (also, most of them invented by Jefferson himself!)

[collincountymagazine]

FOX4: Plano woman shot ex-husband after finding him on the phone with 'illegal woman,' affidavit says

Fox4 newsman Alex Boyer reports Merridith Nunley, 38, is charged with the murder of her ex-husband, 55-year-old David Nunley, who was shot in the chest. She told police she shot David after finding out he was talking to an “illegal woman,” according to the affidavit. Subscribe on YouTube to FOX 4: https://www.youtube.com/fox4news?sub_… FOX4 Dallas news, weather, sports and traffic from KDFW FOX…

[fatehbaz]

Americans [...] would sip the rich cocoa as a hot drink. Cocoa made its way to North America on the same ships that transported rum and sugar from the Caribbean and South America [...] and was heavily reliant on the labor of enslaved Africans throughout the diaspora. [...] [B]y the early 1700s, Boston, Newport, New York and Philadelphia were processing cocoa into chocolate to export and to sell domestically. Chocolate was popular in the coffeehouse culture and was processed for sale and consumption by enslaved laborers in the North. Farther south, in Virginia, cocoa was becoming [...] so popular that it is estimated that approximately one-third of Virginia’s elite was consuming cocoa in some form or another. For the wealthy, this treat was sipped multiple times a week; for others it was out of reach. [...]

The art of chocolate-making – roasting beans, grinding pods onto a stone over a small flame – was a labor-intensive task. An enslaved cook would have had to roast the cocoa beans on the open hearth, shell them by hand, grind the nibs on a heated chocolate stone, and then scrape the raw cocoa, add milk or water, cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla, and serve it piping hot.

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One of the first chocolatiers in the Colonies was an enslaved cook named Caesar.

Born in 1732, Caesar was the chef at Stratford Hall, the home of the Lees of Virginia, and in his kitchen sat one of only three chocolate stones in the Colony. The other two were located at the governor’s palace and at the Carter family estate, belonging to one of the wealthiest families in Virginia. Caesar was responsible for cooking multiple meals a day for the Lees and any free person who came to visit. [...]

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The work was oppressive in the plantation kitchens at Christmas time. [...]

[T]hose working in the big house kitchen and as domestic laborers were expected to work around the clock to ensure a perfect holiday for the white family. The biggest task at hand was to cook and serve Christmas dinner, and chocolate was a favorite addition to the three-course formal dinner. [...] Oyster stew, meat pies, roasted pheasant, puddings, roasted suckling pig and Virginia ham are some of the many dishes that would be served in just one course. The night would finish with the sipping of chocolate: toasted, ground and spiced [...] and served in sipping-cups made specifically for drinking chocolate. [...]

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Decades before the two well-known enslaved chefs, Monticello’s James Hemings and George Washington’s Chef Hercules, [...] Caesar was running one of the Colonies’ most prestigious kitchens inside of Stratford Hall, and making chocolate for the Lees and their guests. [...] [H]is son, Caesar Jr., lived nearby and was the postillion [...].

The stress of cooking the most important dinner of the year was combined with the fear of what was to come on Jan. 1. New Year’s Day was commonly known as heartbreak day, when enslaved folks would be sold to pay off debts or rented out to a different plantation. Jan. 1 represented an impending doom, and the separation of families and loved ones. [...] Caesar disappeared from the records by the end of the 18th century. By 1800, his son Caesar Jr. was still owned by the Lees, but as that year ended, Christmas came and went, and Caesar Jr. was put up for collateral by Henry Lee for payment of his debts.

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The world Caesar lived in was one fueled by the Columbian Exchange, which was built from enslaved labor [...]: pineapples, Madeira wine, port, champagne, coffee, sugar and cocoa beans. These items traveled from plantation to dining room via the Atlantic trade, and were central to securing the reputation of Virginia’s plantation elite. The more exotic and delicious the food, the more domestic fame one would reap. Having cocoa delivered directly to your home, and having a chocolatier in the kitchen, were exceptional. It was through Caesar’s culinary arts that Stratford Hall became well-known throughout Colonial Virginia as a culinary destination.

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All text above by: Kelley Fanto Deetz. “Oppression in the kitchen, delight in the dining room: The story of Caesar, an enslaved chef and chocolatier in Colonial Virginia.” The Conversation. 21 December 2020. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[hometoursandotherstuff]

I can't believe that this 1906 stately home in Monticello, Arkansas is $488K. I would buy it so fast, b/c it's FULL of whimsy and fun. Look at the roof and architecture blending Queen Anne, Neoclassical, and Gothic elements. It has 4bds & 3ba.

This home has been featured on 5 TV shows and was the setting for a 2016 feature film. Several books have chapters featuring the house; it is the model for the house in the 1966 novel The Scent of Lilacs; and it is the sole subject of a bestselling nonfiction book published in 2012. Books and memorabilia are on display in the entry hall.

In the main sitting room off the hall, carousel horses prance, while fancy hot air balloons float above.

Across the hall is a deep green bedroom.

There's a family room with stick walls and whimsical decor off the kitchen.

The kitchen also has stick walls and is painted in deep purple and gray. Look at the antique original sink in the corner.

There's also an original cupboard.

An ornate original ceiling has a painted medallion.

Lovely library with a corner desk, seating area and some antique toys.

An original corner fireplace at the junction where 3 rooms meet.

This upper level hall has a balcony and the room looks just like the center hall of a southern dog trot house with shiplap walls.

This is amazing- there's a little deli in the hall.

The "Eat Here" arrow sign directs you into this retro kitchen.

What a lovely home office.

Next to the office is a safari themed room. How convenient to have your home office and bedroom together.

A bright red bath is reminiscent of New Orleans style.

And, this is the playroom.

What a wonderful hallway. I feel like I'm in a fairytale.

Looking down at the sunny yellow entrance hall.

A small gold and black bath.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/705-N-Main-St-Monticello-AR-71655/90802610_zpid/

[whencyclopedia]

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was an American lawyer, statesman, philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. A prominent figure of the American Revolution, he wrote the Declaration of Independence and later served as the first secretary of state, the second vice president, and the third president of the United States (served 1801-1809).

Early Life

Thomas Jefferson was born on 13 April 1743 at Shadwell Plantation in Albemarle County, Virginia. He was the third of ten children born to Peter Jefferson, a wealthy planter and land surveyor, and Jane Randolph Jefferson, a daughter of one of Virginia's most influential families. When Peter Jefferson died in 1757, 14-year-old Thomas inherited 5,000 acres of land as well as 60 enslaved people. From 1758 to 1760, he was privately tutored by Reverend James Maury before going on to the colonial capital of Williamsburg to attend the College of William & Mary. In his first year at college, he spent lavishly on parties, horses, and clothing, but he would soon regret this "showy style of living" (Boles, 18). His second year, therefore, was much more studious; he would apparently spend 15 hours a day at his studies, pausing only to exercise or to practice his violin.

The studious Jefferson soon became the protégé of mathematics professor William Small, who he would fondly remember as "the first truly enlightened or scientific man" he had ever met (Boles, 17). Small introduced Jefferson to the two other great intellectuals in Williamsburg – law professor George Wythe and Lt. Governor Francis Fauquier – and, at their weekly dinner parties, the four men would discuss politics and philosophy, greatly influencing the young Jefferson's political and intellectual development.

After completing his formal studies in 1762, Jefferson remained in Williamsburg to study law under Wythe and was admitted to the Virginia bar five years later in 1767. In 1768, he was elected to the House of Burgesses, representing Albemarle County. That same year, he began construction of a new home atop an 868-foot-high (265 m) mountain that overlooked his plantation. Called Monticello – Italian for "little mountain" – the house became the passion of Jefferson's life, and he would spend the next several decades designing and renovating it. The actual labor, of course, was mostly performed by his slaves; over the course of his lifetime, Jefferson owned approximately 600 enslaved people, most of whom were born into slavery on his property.

In 1772, after several failed romantic pursuits, Jefferson was finally married to the beautiful young widow Martha Wayles Skelton. Five years his junior, Martha shared his passions for literature and music; indeed, they often played music together – she on the harpsichord, he on the violin. The couple would have six children, only two of whom – Martha 'Patsy' (1772-1836) and Mary 'Polly' (1778-1804) – would survive to adulthood. When Jefferson's father-in-law died in 1773, he and Martha inherited 11,000 acres of land and 135 more enslaved people. By then, Jefferson had become involved with Virginia's struggle against Great Britain. Parliament's attempts to tax the colonists without their consent were vehemently opposed by the American Patriots, who saw such taxes as violations of their 'rights as Englishmen'. In 1774, Jefferson argued as much in his A Summary View of the Rights of British America. In it, he asserted that the colonies had the right to govern themselves, that they were tied to the English king only through voluntary bonds and that Parliament had no right to interfere in their affairs. This work earned him recognition as a Patriot leader in Virginia and led to his appointment as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in the spring of 1775.

Writing the Declaration of Independence

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (Public Domain)

Continue reading...

[janewilsonrva]

Redbud in Bloom

Richmond, Virginia (USA)

Based on a photo from March 26, 2023.

Eastern Redbud is shrub native to North America and a Spring favorite here in Virginia since colonial times. It is said that both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson admired Redbud trees out in the woods and planted them at their home estates (Mount Vernon, Monticello, Poplar Forest).

[moneeb0930]

‘Pimp’ and ‘Lyss’: The Immortal Young Brothers by Claude Johnson (Black Fives Foundation)

They were brothers on and off the court. William Pennington Young, sometimes known as “Pimp” to his friends, and his older brother Ulysses S. Young, known simply as “Lyss” to his pals, were an unstoppable sibling pair of African American basketball stars that played during the 1910s and early 1920s.

They also made significant pioneering contributions off the court, long after their playing days ended.

Ulysses was born in Virginia in 1894. A year later, after his hard working parents migrated tot he North in pursuit of a better life, younger brother William was born in Orange, New Jersey.

A few years later, in 1900, their parents rented a room of their home to a young couple from Virginia, the Ricks family, who had a newborn son named James. Over the years the Young brothers embraced little James as if he were their own kin, and as the older boys got involved in sports, so did their protégé.

Something in that combined household created serious athletic skills.

Lyss and William attended nearby Orange High School, where they starred in football, basketball, and baseball. In 1910, while still in high school, the pair began playing semi-pro basketball for the Imperial Athletic Club, a local squad that competed against such teams as the Newark Strollers, the Montclair Athletic Club, and the Jersey City Colored YMCA. The two immediately received attention in the black sports press, including the popular and nationally circulated New York Age.

Their attraction to basketball got young James hooked on the sport too, and he soon developed his own talent. One huge advantage was having the opportunity to learn from- and train with the Young brothers.

The little basketball apprentice, James Ricks, would grow up to become James “Pappy” Ricks, who would become a founding member of the New York Renaissance Big Five professional basketball team and eventually reach the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

After high school, the Young brothers attended Lincoln University in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which was not only America’s oldest historically black university but also was the closest to home for them. In college they both were once again three-sport stars. Though the brothers excelled in each sport, their first claim to fame was through football.

Playing quarterback, William was named as a Negro All-American during his senior year. Ulysses, playing end, was named to the Milton Roberts All Time Black College Football Squad for the 1910s Decade.

After graduating from Lincoln (“Pimp” was class valedictorian in 1917), the Youngs were recruited to play professional basketball in Pittsburgh by prominent African American sports promoter Cumberland Posey. Posey, historian Rob Ruck wrote in Sandlot Seasons, his landmark book that explores the city’s unique athletic heritage, “was,as much as any one man could be, the architect of sport in black Pittsburgh.”

The pioneering promoter had been cultivating Pittsburgh’s black basketball talent through his operation of several different squads in the city, most prominently the Monticello Athletic Association, since the early 1910s. But with America’s imminent entry into World War I and the resulting lack of resources, Posey decided to consolidate his best talent into one powerfully built team.

The result was the Loendi Big Five, a legendary combo that was sponsored and got its name from the Loendi Social & Literary Club, an exclusive African American social club in the the city’s predominantly black Hill District.

1921.

Adding the collegiate superstars from Lincoln not only helped Posey promote his new team but also sparked the Loendi Big Five’s domination of black basketball, with a dynasty that included four straight Colored Basketball World Championships from 1919 through 1923.

[hiidkwhatimdoing7525]

My second day at Yorktown for Lafayette's bicentennial anniversary of his tour (as an American friends of lafayette member) part 2/? - IT'S YORKTOWN BRITISH SURRENDER DAY!!!

first I went on the bus provided to the French soldiers grave for a memorial and wreath laying

Then it's back on the buses to the French soldiers memorial plus more wreath laying

Then we went to the parade!!! I was there with the AFL, infact, I got to hold the big American flag! (mark schneider had the French one)

the parade is HUGE!!! the AFL is almost to the last and we waited for like 20 minutes PEOPLE JUST KEPT SPAWNING WTF!!!!

Then we went to the Yorktown monument for the 'patriotic exercises' (why they call it that?), a BEAUTIFUL reenactment of lafayette reunited with James Armistead Lafayette and some speeches! I actually met 2 direct decedents of James, it was SO COOL!!! I kinda learned in this 'patriotic exercises' if anyone mentions lafayette, i along with the rest of AFL start cheering sand yelling vive lafayette, every time benedict arnold mention, we boo him.

After that I got some ice cream in this place that have the best decorations

got some stuff

i also got a tour calendar, a tote bag and a shirt with basically left me bankrupt 🥲 BUT i always wanted these and online they are more expensive plus shipping so it's worth it!

At the end I went to the AFL member dinner and I even got to take home some wine bottles!

(i like to collect glass bottles and put random stuff and paint brushes in them) (i already have a colonial willamsburg and Montpelier(james madison house idk how to spell it) and one not glass bottle from monticello)

here is a post i made about my first day (welcome lafayette to yorktown) :)

once again HAPPY YORKTOWN DAY EVERYONE!!!! the battle that lead the colonies one step closer to independence

[redlow-group-blogs]

Top Features to Look for in a Monticello Home

When searching for a home in Monticello, it’s important to prioritize the features that best align with your lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for modern amenities, eco-friendly upgrades, or spacious living areas, Monticello’s real estate market has something for every buyer. Here’s a breakdown of the top features to consider for a new home in this beautiful community.

Spacious and Open Floor Plans

Homes with open, flexible layouts offer greater versatility, allowing you to adapt the space to suit your lifestyle needs. Whether you want room for entertaining, a growing family, or a home office, spacious homes with open floor plans create a welcoming atmosphere.

Large living areas perfect for gatherings or quiet time.

Flexible room layouts for multifunctional spaces.

High ceilings for an airy, open feel.

Energy-Efficient Features

With the growing demand for eco-friendly homes, Monticello offers several properties that feature energy-efficient upgrades. These can help save on utility bills while also reducing your carbon footprint.

Energy-efficient windows to reduce heating and cooling costs.

Smart thermostats that can be controlled remotely.

Solar panels for long-term energy savings.

Modern Kitchens and Baths

Kitchens and bathrooms are often the focal points of a home. Whether you enjoy cooking or simply appreciate a stylish space, modern finishes and top-of-the-line appliances will elevate your home’s appeal.

Quartz or granite countertops for a sleek, durable surface.

Energy-efficient appliances for better sustainability.

Updated bathroom fixtures for a more luxurious experience.

Smart Home Technology

As homes continue to evolve, smart technology has become a key feature for many buyers. Monticello homes equipped with smart home devices offer convenience, security, and efficiency.

Smart lighting systems to adjust ambiance remotely.

Voice-controlled assistants to manage your home’s functions.

Smart security systems for enhanced protection.

Click here to read more

[coldcanyon]

Un-Death of a Valley: The Ghosts of Monticello ‘Reclaim’ the Inland Sea! 

Copper-plate etching with hard ground, aquatint, drypoint, burnishing, and linocut Trial proof on grey Rives BFK Plate 9”x12”, sheet 14”x18”

Deep in the almond orchards of the Sacramento Valley, a flash flood caused by an unusually late winter storm is threatening to claim this season’s crop. Floods here aren’t uncommon during the “wet season”, but as a deranged howling rises above the sound of the water coursing through the irrigation ditches, it becomes clear this is no average storm. No—the ghosts of Monticello have returned from their watery grave in the depths of the Lake Berryessa spillway and brought down the dam to enact their revenge on the agricultural industry that destroyed their home. It’s “hell and high water” for the residents of Solano County as the untethered Putah Creek roars across the valley floor; while overhead, documentary photographers Dorothea Lange and Pirkle Jones take snapshots from a crop-duster, bearing witness once more to the bloodied waters of California’s hydropolitics.

[publius-library]

Can you tell me everything you know about Martha Jefferson?

I would love to. In my opinion, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson is one of the most tragic figures of the 18th century, and her life shows the many challenges a woman would face in this time period, due to the incredible expectations put on them. I'd like to open by saying that the importance of discussing women in history not only gives us a more full perspective on any and every historical event, but it also gives light to less commonly discussed historical figures that were equally important that we don't know as much about. Martha Jefferson is undoubtably one of those people.

Martha Wayles was born on October 30, 1748 to her wealthy father. Her father was an English immigrant who moved to America and accumulated a decent fortune through slave trading, planting, and his law practice.

Content warning: mention of sexual assault within slavery, skip next paragraph if this may be distressing

Her father is a very interesting figure. In his law practice, he specialized in debt collections, which made him very unpopular among the locals. Additionally, he raped an enslaved woman on his property several times, Elizabeth Hemmings, after the death of his third wife. She would have several children by him, including Sally Hemmings, who would later be raped and have several children by Thomas Jefferson. It is disgusting, but crucial to mention that because of the slave system in America, and the violation of African American women, Martha Jefferson was the half sister of Sally Hemmings.

Martha married Bathurst Skelton when she was 18. They would have one child, John, who died in infancy. Her first husband died six months before Jefferson married Martha, and her first child with Jefferson, Martha aka Patsy, would come nine months after Martha's first child. Her almost constant pregnancy and troubles in maternity would eventually lead to her death.

She married the very eligible bachelor Thomas Jefferson on New Years Day, 1772 at her plantation home, "The Forest". There was a five year age gap between them, as she was 22 going on 23, and he was 28. Jefferson would actually scarcely mention her first husband, and would even report false information that he did not exist, that Martha was a spinster when he married her. The motivations for this are not confirmed.

The young couple arrived at Jefferson's home, Monticello, during a snowstorm, where all the servants were asleep and the house was cold. They toasted their marriage with a leftover bottle of wine, and entered into a period of domestic happiness.

Martha and Thomas had complimentary personalities, balancing out each other's characteristics. They shared an interest in music, as Jefferson played the violin or the cello, and Martha played the piano or the harpsicord. She was said to be very talented.

While there is no known portraits of her, she was described as very beautiful and accomplished. She was slim with hazel eyes and auburn hair. She was the subject of frequent praise from all that knew her.

The Jeffersons had five children in ten years, but only two would survive to adulthood, Martha (Patsy) and Mary (Polly or Mary). Martha was under such strain from her frequent pregnancies that she fell very ill in 1781. The British had invaded Richmond, which forced her away from her husband back to Monticello, but Jefferson often left his political career to stay with her during her sickness. The British would raid Monticello, forcing her to travel in her poor condition yet again.

Her condition continued to worsen, until she died on September 6, 1782, at 11:45 AM at the age of 33. Jefferson would never record his relationship with her, so her life remains mostly a mystery among historians.

Martha Jefferson was far more than the deceased wife of the third president. During her life, she was the mother of several children, who frequently had to grieve their deaths. She was the mistress of a fashionable household, and the wife of an energetic, young politician who was making strides in the cause of liberty and American independence. Her life was riddled with tragedy and mourning, but she was a lively, creative woman who had an untimely death at a cruel age.

[collincountymagazine]

Plano Police report wife killed husband on Monticello Drive on Saturday night

Police report Plano Police have arrested a woman in the 2300 block of Monticello Circle, in 75075 Zipcode between 15th Street and Park Blvd., near Greenway Drive west of Custer Road. The 9-1-1 call came in about 10:35 p.m. Saturday. Plano Police arrived and discovered the man who had called 9-1-1 suffering from a gun shot. A little later, Plano Fire and Rescue reported he had died after being…

[drewmemorial]

Sleep Clinic of Arkansas

Drew Memorial’s Sleep Center diagnoses and treats sleep disorders, from the common Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), to the more rare REM Behavior Disorders. Sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder, and its side effects include high blood pressure, heart disease, and congestive heart failure. Symptoms to look for include daytime sleepiness/fatigue, increased irritability, snoring, witnessed apnea, difficulty staying awake, difficulty concentrating, and frequent awakening during sleep. For more details visit: Sleep Clinic of Arkansas