Your Elderhostel experience in Charlottesville may include visits to the estates of three American presidents: Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson; Ash Lawn-Highland, home of James Monroe; and Montpelier, home of James Madison. Note: Montpelier is undergoing extensive restoration. Elderhostel visits will continue throughout the restoration so that this fascinating process can be observed. Visit the Montpelier web site for regular updates on the restoration.

Most of our Charlottesville programs also include lunch at the historic Michie Tavern. Established in 1784 by Scotsman William Michie, the tavern served as the social center of the community. Visitors today journey back to the eighteenth century while dining on a traditional Bill of Fare and witnessing such diversions as dancing and games.

Charlottesville 's history begins in the eighteenth century with the story of the surrounding county of Albemarle – long before the granting of the city charter in 1888.

Occasional trappers and squatters probably explored this area before it was settled, but the earliest land grant in this area was actually settled and planted in 1727. Albemarle County was carved out of Goochland County in 1744, and named for William Keppel, earle of Albemarle, who was the Virginia colony's official Royal Governor General in England. On December 23, 1762, the General Assembly passed an act which established as county seat a town located on the “Three Notched Road,” which at that time was the main route between the Shenandoah Valley and Richmond . This new town, more centrally located in the county, was named Charlottesville in honor of Queen Charlotte-Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the young bride of King George III of England.

The original expanse of town, a rectangular area of fifty acres adjacent to Court Square, was laid out in lots and placed for sale under the care of Dr. Thomas Walker of Castle Hill. The county land surrounding the public area was subdivided into lots of varying sizes and gradually sold. Fourteen town lots were sold in 1763 and ten the following year. The Revolutionary War saw Charlottesville as a gradually emerging town in the center of an agriculturally-based county. Small farmers and large landowners alike grew tobacco – which they considered the lifeblood of the economy – as well as wheat, Indian corn, barley and oats. The residents of both the town and the county had to be largely self-sufficient as transportation was difficult to points east, such as Richmond, the more populated Tidewater region, and the seat of colonial government in Williamsburg.

Thomas Jefferson and the University of Virginia

Near the end of his life, Thomas Jefferson completed one final act of public service by founding a university not far from his Monticello home. Jefferson was involved in every aspect of the founding of the University of Virginia, from designing its architecture to planning the curriculum and engaging the best scholars from America and Europe to serve on the faculty. The University of Virginia officially opened in March of 1825, and Jefferson served as rector until his death on July 4, 1826. During his final year, Jefferson often hosted students for dinner at Monticello, among whom was the young Edgar Allan Poe, who attended U.Va. from 1826 to 1827. At his request, Jefferson's tombstone lists three significant accomplishments of his public life; although the epitaph does not mention his Presidency, it does include the words "Father of the University of Virginia."

Unfortunately, Jefferson did not live to see the completion of the Rotunda (pictured left), the heart and focal point of the university's "academical village" (as Jefferson termed it). The Rotunda, which Jefferson modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, served as the university library for more than a century. Today, the main lawn of the university campus appears as Jefferson envisioned it, with the Rotunda situated at the north end, flanked by colonnaded Pavilions that serve as faculty and student housing.

Read more about Jefferson and the University of Virginia by clicking here.

Other Attractions in the Charlottesville Area

The Boar's Head Inn is one of Virginia 's most popular resorts. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Boar's Head Inn offers world-class dining, golf on the Birdwood, one of the Mid Atlantic's Top 100 courses, 20 world-class tennis courts, and a full-service spa. http://www.boarsheadinn.com/

Jefferson Vineyards, near Monticello, is just one of several vineyards in the area. Jefferson, America's first wine connoisseur, convinced Filippo Mazzei to establish a vineyard adjacent to Monticello. Today Jefferson Vineyards produces internationally recognized wines from European varieties. Complimentary tours and tastings are given daily. http://www.jeffersonvineyards.com/

The P. Buckley Moss Museum, located outside Charlottesville in Waynesboro, is dedicated to the works of this well-known 20th-century artist. The inspiration for many of her paintings is the surrounding countryside of the Shenandoah Valley, her home since 1964. http://www.pbuckleymoss.com/

Walton's Mountain Museum is located in Schuyler, in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, across the street from the home of Earl Hamner, Jr., “John-Boy” from the popular television show. Exhibits at the museum include recreated rooms from the television show and the Hamner home. Ike Godsey's Store is an operating post office where mail may be specially stamped “Walton's Mountain.” Local arts and crafts are also on display. http://www.waltonmuseum.org/

The Roaring Twenties Antique Car Museum, located in Hood, is Virginia's largest family collection of cars from the 1920s and 1930s. The museum features 32 vintage cars on display, plus stationary engines, horse-drawn equipment, old farm tools, an old-fashioned country kitchen, period advertising, and more. http://www.roaring-twenties.com/

The Blue Ridge Parkway offers a 217-mile scenic drive through the western part of Virginia, stretching from the southern end of the Shenandoah National Park to the North Carolina border, near Fisher's Peak. The Parkway offers spectacular views and interesting examples of Appalachian culture at places such as Humpback Rocks and Mabry Mill. The Appalachian Trail can be accessed from the Parkway at more than twenty overlooks and parking areas, providing several opportunities to hike a section of this popular national scenic trail. At its northern end, the Blue Ridge Parkway connects to Skyline Drive, another scenic route that runs through the Shenandoah National Park. http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Birthplace Museum is located in downtown Staunton, less than an hour from Charlottesville. Visit the museum galleries that focus on Wilson's life of public service, tour the Greek revival manse where he was born, and meander through beautiful gardens restored in a Victorian style. http://www.woodrowwilson.org/

For more information on the Charlottesville area, please call (877) 386-1102 or visit this web site.