Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States, a Founding Father, and the author of the Declaration of Independence. He designed his home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia. I visited on a very rainy day in late September as part of the first leg of my vacation.
Category: Historic Places
Tour Great Architecture from the Comfort of Your Home
Want to enjoy great architecture from your couch? I recently discovered a host of virtual tours of famous works of architecture. How cool is that? While you can never truly experience a place from a computer screen, it's nice to have the option when travelling to the site in person isn't in your schedule (or budget). All of the tours listed are 360° experiences, not just pictures.
Kykuit: Home of the Rockefellers
On Memorial Day, my mom and I visited Kykuit for a belated Mothers' Day. Kykuit is the Sleepy Hollow, NY estate of the Rockefeller family. It's massive and gorgeous, and we had a great time there. The estate is well-known for two things - its gardens and Nelson Rockefeller's collection of modern art.
A Review of the Morgan Library & Museum
My experience at the Morgan Library & Museum, a New York City museum of rare books and manuscripts, works on paper, and other small treasures.
The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms
A short account of my Christmastime visit to the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms.
Gargoyle(s) of the Day: Glynallen Castle
Two picturesque grotesques from a fantastical, Tudor-inspired mansion in New Jersey.
Newport Wrap-Up
If you've read all my posts in this series, you've officially been introduced to every Newport mansion I visited. (But not every Newport mansion, since unfortunately I didn't get to visit two of them.) But my Newport adventure wasn't entirely mansion tours. There's lots else to see and do in town. The Redwood Library and Athenaeum is… Continue reading Newport Wrap-Up
The Green Animals Topiary Garden (My Newport Adventures)
Brayton Hall, the Brayton family's former home, is located about 20 minutes outside Newport in the nearby town of Portsmouth. The primary attraction of this site isn't the house, but the garden, popularly known as the Green Animals Topiary Garden. It has more than 80 topiaries shaped of like animals and objects alongside may other trees and flowers. My favorite topiaries were the owl,… Continue reading The Green Animals Topiary Garden (My Newport Adventures)
The Isaac Bell House (My Newport Adventures)
The Isaac Bell House is very different from anything else I saw in Newport. While the Vanderbilts, Berwinds, and other prominent Newport families looked to the past to imitate Renaissance, Gothic, and Baroque architecture, Isaac Bell looked forward instead. Thanks to his architect Stanford White, his house (completed in 1883) began a new style that’s now called Shingle Style.… Continue reading The Isaac Bell House (My Newport Adventures)
Kingscote (My Newport Adventures)
Kingscote was owned by George Nobel Jones, and then several generations of the King family (who obviously gave it the name). The home was built in 1841 but substantially enlarged in the 1880s for the Kings. The original house was designed by Richard Upjohn, and the addition was by McKim, Mead, and White. Kingscote is large and impressive,… Continue reading Kingscote (My Newport Adventures)
