Pleased to Meet You, Mr. Jefferson

Mary Prince Lewis 804-678-9750 mlewis@hovtour.com www.hovtour.com

Thomas Jefferson Historic Sites “Give Me Liberty” Speech Reenactment Visit Cidery High-End Lodging

In Virginia, Thomas Jefferson’s mark can still be found everywhere – from architecture to

history and even culinary traditions. This tour will introduce Jefferson as a multi-

dimensional man. Guided tours at three of his homes reveal a man shaped by his

surroundings – and who shaped his surroundings. His genius for architecture is reflected

not only at his homes but also at the Virginia Capitol. The spirit of revolution will come

alive at a thrilling re-enactment of Patrick Henry’s Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!

speech in the very place that it happened. Thomas Jefferson loved good food, drink and

hospitality and our group will experience the very best in Virginia cuisine and overnight

lodgings in historic settings as we journey in time.

Tuckahoe Plantation Thomas Jefferson’s boyhood home near Richmond dates to 1733 and is

considered among the finest early 18th century plantation homes in America.

Our guided tour will include the small one-room schoolhouse where

Jefferson received his first education, gardens filled with native plants and

the home filled with structural and decorative features that may have

influenced Jefferson the architect.

Virginia State Capitol Jefferson designed this masterpiece which since 1788 has housed the

Western Hemisphere’s oldest legislature, the Virginia General Assembly.

Patrick Henry was present when the cornerstone was laid in 1783. The

Aaron Burr trial was held here and the Bill of Rights was ratified in this

building. Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II are

among its distinguished visitors. An $83 million renovation and

expansion completed in 2007 included the dazzling new visitor center

built underground to preserve the historic grounds.

Mary Prince Lewis 804-678-9750 mlewis@hovtour.com www.hovtour.com

Pleased to Meet You, Mr. Jefferson

St. John’s Church It was in this historic Richmond church – not in Philadelphia or Boston – that

the patriot Patrick Henry fanned the flames of independence with his rousing

“Give me liberty or give me death!” speech. George Washington and Thomas

Jefferson were among those in attendance that day as Henry’s words echoed

across Colonial America. Inside the church our group will be treated to a re-

enactment of Henry’s speech in the context of the meeting of March 1775,

conducted by gifted actors who have delighted audiences here for years.

Monticello Jefferson’s signature contribution to American architecture is in the genius of

design found at his iconic home near Charlottesville. Nowhere is Jefferson’s

intellect and personality more vividly displayed than at Monticello. From

fireside dumb waiters designed to carry wine up from the cellar to a clock

placed so as to be viewed from many locations in the house, Monticello is by

all measures one of America’s most important homes – worthy of being on the

back of the nickel. A visit to Jefferson’s gardens includes an in-depth guided

walk followed by a Meet the Gardener segment in which you will participate

in seasonal gardening activities, such as planting, harvesting, and sampling

crops ranging from asparagus to baby root vegetables.

Albemarle Cider Works Jefferson was an avid horticulturalist, raising many varietals of apples – and

one major use of apples in Colonial times was in making hard cider. That

tradition has been revived and brought to new heights in Virginia over the past

few years and one of Virginia’s leading cideries is Albemarle Cider Works,

where we will be treated to a flighted tasting and tour.

The Lawn at University of Virginia Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia, designed its curriculum

and was the architect of its first buildings including the famous Rotunda and

classroom and residence buildings along The Lawn. Historian Rick Brittan

will lead our group on a strolling tour of this historic place as we learn about

Jefferson’s interpretation of the classic Greek “academic community” and how

he applied that to his creation of the university.

Pleased to Meet You, Mr. Jefferson

Mary Prince Lewis 804-678-9750 mlewis@hovtour.com www.hovtour.com

Historic Lodging Our group will spend its overnights in lavish style in Richmond and

Lynchburg. Opened in 1895, Richmond’s stunning Jefferson Hotel is one of

America’s great hotels from the “Gilded Age.” Massive pillars, marble and

stained glass accent the lobby and palm court – and a statue of Mr. Jefferson

himself oversees it all from his pedestal near the reception desk. A

decorative alligator motif harkens to the

early 1900s when wealthy northerners

returning by train from summer vacations

often deposited small live alligators they had bought in Florida into the hotel

fountain. In Lynchburg, the Craddock Terry Hotel is housed in a former

shoe factory. You’ll be greeted by “Buster Brown” (of course), a schnauzer

with a nose for hospitality. Your continental breakfast is delivered to your

door in an old-fashioned shoeshine box.

Great Dining Virginia is the birthplace of American cuisine and one America’s current

culinary hot spots. Enjoy great meals at the Rose and Crown Tavern and

Michie Tavern, which date to Colonial times, and a catered dinner in

Richmond’s John Marshall Ballrooms, which have hosted formal affairs in

Virginia’s Capital City for generations.

Poplar Forest One of Thomas Jefferson’s least-known architectural gems is also one of his

most important. Poplar Forest, his summer home near Lynchburg, displays

many of Jefferson’s trademarks. The house is unfurnished, giving visitors the

opportunity to focus on the clever design and construction of the home.

Archaeologists are also working to uncover galleries that extend out from the

house as they do at Monticello. This part of the tour will be revealing and

unforgettable – a true chance to view a building down to the boards, pegs and

nails as Jefferson did.