Period
c.1764
Montpelier
Location
Montpelier Station, Virginia
Notables
National Historic Landmark
HISTORICAL LEGACY
Montpelier, the plantation home of James and Dolley Madison, located near Orange, Virginia, has been owned by The National Trust for Historic Preservation since 1983. In 2000, The Montpelier Foundation assumed the stewardship of the property. Since the Madison’s time, the mansion had undergone several renovations, most notably in the early 1900’s when the DuPont family acquired the property and more than tripled the size of the house.
James Madison
Dolly Madison
ARCHITECTURAL INVESTIGATION
In 2001, the Foundation undertook an in-depth architectural investigation both to determine the configuration of the mansion during the Madison Family’s lifetime and to ascertain whether sufficient evidence survived to support a faithful restoration. MCWB was engaged together with a team of architectural historians, headed by Mark R. Wenger, from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to conduct this investigation. By June of the following year, it had become clear that the accumulated evidence, gathered during this study, would allow the Foundation to retrieve the home Madison knew with minimum conjecture or speculative reconstruction.
Over the course of our seven year engagement on the project, MCWB produced hundreds of detail drawings, and worked in close collaboration on a daily basis with the owner’s restoration crew, masons, archeologists and systems contractors to achieve the complete restoration of the mansion.
EXTERIOR RESTORATION
The exterior restoration of Montpelier focused on restoring and reinstating its historical accuracy and preserving its original craftsmanship.
The two one-story wings, added in 1809, originally featured serrated roofs and Chinese railings. Using historical drawings and illustrations from Madison’s lifetime, along with evidence found on the building, MCWB restored these architectural elements to their original design.
The exterior had been stuccoed with Portland cement in a later period, which was carefully removed by masons to preserve the original brick beneath. The bricks were meticulously cleaned, re-pointed, and supplemented with custom-fabricated bricks to match the original. The front columns were restored to their original height, stabilized, and finished with lime mortar, as were the columns of the rear colonnade.
Missing windows and doors were reconstructed based on detailed millwork drawings, replicating the original joinery and construction techniques. Custom hardware was fabricated to match surviving historical pieces still in use.
NEW SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
To modernize the mansion without compromising its historical integrity, MCWB carefully integrated advanced systems into the mansion’s infrastructure.
A geothermal system was installed using 21 deep wells to efficiently heat and cool the mansion. Air handling units placed in a nearby underground utility vault distribute conditioned air through buried conduits beneath the cellar floor.
Return air is drawn through the original chimney flues, rising to the attic before being redirected back to the utility vault via reconstructed chimneys and underground conduits. This innovative approach preserved the mansion’s historic features while discreetly integrating modern technology.
A misting system for fire suppression, a VESDA fire detection system, and updated electrical and security systems were installed with equal precision.
INTERIOR RESTORATION
With the systems installation complete, the restoration of Montpelier’s interior finishes could begin. Lime plaster was meticulously restored to the walls and ceilings throughout the mansion. Guided by detailed analysis of surviving evidence, MCWB Architects recreated lost architectural elements, including the four original stairways, interior trim, doors, fireplace surrounds, and hardware, ensuring historical accuracy in every detail.
