Photo courtesy of DAR
Three Daughters of the American Revolution Chapters from around the area traveled to Poplar Forest on Saturday, April 13 to tour this historic home of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. Members of the Botetourt County Chapter, the Roanoke Valley Chapter, and the Craig County Chapter gathered in Forest where Jefferson “came to indulge in the life of the mind and renew his personal creativity.” Jefferson and his wife, Martha Wayles Jefferson, inherited this Bedford County plantation from her father in 1773. Jefferson began designing and working on his retreat home in 1806, and work continued for two decades.
The octagonal house that he built may have been the first of its kind built in this country. The house at Poplar Forest is made of brick and consists of a central square space and three sides made of elongated octagon rooms. The central dining room has a skylight and the dimensions are 20’x20’ x20’, which makes it a perfect cube. Designated a National Historic Landmark, Poplar Forest is an award-winning historic restoration in progress. It is open daily for docent-guided or self-guided tours.
Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, the first Secretary of State, the second Vice President of the United States, and the third President of the United States. He died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
As the nation is preparing to celebrate America 250, DAR chapters encourage everyone to learn more about Virginia’s history during the Revolutionary time period as well as the lives, histories, sites, stories and communities of the citizens in the Revolutionary time period.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a women’s service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism.
~Botetourt DAR
