History
The Corporation for Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest was formed in December 1983 with a mission to save and restore Jefferson's retreat home and surrounding landscape. We opened to the public for the first time on July 4th, 1986 and have worked since the mid-1980s to restore the house back to Jefferson's original design as historically accurately as possible. Visitors today can watch archaeological excavations and watch historic restoration techniques as we continue to better tell the stories of Jefferson, his family, and the enslaved men, women, and children who lived at Poplar Forest.
Specialties
The Corporation for Jefferson's Poplar Forest specializes in telling the story of Jefferson's retreat home and plantation. By focusing on all of the people who lived at Poplar Forest, we can tell an accurate story of what live was like in the early nineteenth century at a retreat home of one of America's most influential founding fathers.