James Madison's Montpelier
PANICd#: 1931
James Madison's Montpelier, located in Orange County, Virginia, was the plantation house of the Madison family, including fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and his wife Dolley.
11350 Constitution Hwy
Montpelier Station , VA 22957
Phone: (540) 672-2728
Open to the public: Yes
Lat: 38.2284452
Lon: -78.17675839999998
Database Summary:
Demographic Rank: 6
History: 2
Stories: 2
Claims: 4
Evidence: 0
Resources: 4
Retrievals: 6859
Vistor Rating: 0.0
Votes: 0
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History
History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.
James Madison's Montpelier, located in Orange County, Virginia, was the plantation house of the Madison family, including fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and his wife Dolley. The 2,650-acre (10.7 km2) property is open seven days a week with the mission of engaging the public with the enduring legacy of Madison's most powerful idea: government by the people.
Montpelier was declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. It was included in the Madison-Barbour Rural Historic District in 1991. In 1983, the last private owner of Montpelier, Marion duPont Scott, bequeathed the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has owned and operated the estate since 1984. In 2000, The Montpelier Foundation formed with the goal of transforming James Madison's historic estate into a dynamic cultural institution. From 2003-2008 the NTHP carried out a major restoration, in part to return the mansion to its original size of 22 rooms as it was during the years when it was occupied by James and Dolley Madison. Extensive interior and exterior work was done during the restoration. Archeological investigations in the 21st century revealed new information about African-American life at the plantation, and a gift from philanthropist David Rubenstein enabled the National Trust to restore the slave quarters in the South Yard and open a slavery exhibition, The Mere Distinction of Colour, in 2017.
See the link below for additional history.
Added by: sdonley on 07/30/2019
DB#:443
Source(s):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montpelier_(Orange,_...
Family Plot
Most do not realize that on the grounds is the final resting place of the former President and First Lady. A small walk from the parking lot, you can find the Madison family plot.
See more images on the photo page for this location. The link is above.
Added by: sdonley on 07/30/2019
DB#:444
Source(s):
Shawn Donley
Stories
Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location.
Has anyone felt a ghost at the Montpelier house where James Madison lived? I was on a tour there, the last tour of the evening about a year ago. Everything was fine and undisturbing until the end, when the tour was over and I wandered into the basement, which was open. A man was talking to some people in the first room, but since I missed the beginning of the talk, I moved to the more interior room to wait until the next one began.
I was near a small door when suddenly I felt abrupt pressure on my left side, as if someone was pushing me away. It felt very strange! I left to go walk in the garden, but felt a tingling on my left side for about 15 or twenty minutes.
Added by: sdonley on 07/30/2019
DB#:1444
Source(s):
http://www.ghostsofamerica.com/2/Virginia_Montpeli...
Biographers of dead Presidents often seek to humanize them, and what burned brightest inside this one according to most, was his love for his significantly younger wife, Dolley. Although a smallish figure resembling the former President has been recounted at Montpelier, sitting, brooding in the former President's study, it is actually the ghost of his beloved wife that is most often said to be seen.
Both around Montpelier, but also up in Washington DC where she had lived as First Lady and often lived after Madison's death. Perhaps in this case, one's love of places can be split. Whereas she reflects on the loss of her husband at Montpelier while protecting the things she helped build in the nation's capital, such as the famous Rose Garden at the White House.
Added by: sdonley on 07/30/2019
DB#:1445
Source(s):
https://amyscrypt.com/dead-presidents-virginia/
Paranormal Claims
Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.
| Claim # | Added | Added By | Claim |
| 2913 | 07/30/2019 | sdonley | People have reported being touched. |
| 2914 | 07/30/2019 | sdonley | The apparition of Dolly has been seen on the grounds and in the mansion. |
| 2915 | 07/30/2019 | sdonley | People have experienced strange cold spots. |
| 2916 | 07/30/2019 | sdonley | Strange footsteps have been heard. |
Paranormal Evidence
Paranormal evidence is based on claims that have been reported for this location. There can be several types of evidence; however, we have grouped them based on media type for better organization. Here you will find evidence that are logs, audio, video, or photographic.
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No Evidence Reported Yet!
Additional Resources
This is a collection of Internet resources for this location. This section will house links to other websites that contain information related to history, claims, investigations, or even the location's website.
| Wikipedia Entry
Added: 08/03/2017 By: sdonley |
Wikipedia Entry for this location |
| Ghosts of Montpelier
Added: 07/30/2019 By: sdonley |
Information about the location, see link for details. |
| The Restoration of James Madison's Montpelier : The Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site
Added: 07/30/2019 By: sdonley |
Information about the location, see link for details. |
| American Expeditioners
Added: 07/30/2019 By: sdonley |
Information about the location, see link for details. |
Location Comments
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