Thomas Jefferson

Situated in Charlottesville, VA, United States, Monticello was the estate of America's 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson, who was also one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence. Monticello is built on an around 800-foot summit. The name comes from Italian, which means "little mountain". The building is highly influenced by the neoclassical style of architecture, which is marked with features like tall columns that rise up to the full height of the building, symmetrical shapes, triangular pediments, and a doomed roof.

Thomas Jefferson is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America for writing the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified on July 4, 1776. Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, and John Adams and Benjamin Franklin brought some minor changes to it. This was an important document that announced that the thirteen American colonies, which were then at war with Great Britain, were no longer part of the British Empire.

Jefferson loved architecture, and throughout his life he studied drawings of other architects, mainly Roman and Greek architects. In 1768, Jefferson began to work on the Monticello, where he lived with his wife until her death. Jefferson never remarried and maintained his home throughout his life, always expanding and changing the house.

Later, he served as Minster of the United States to France where he had an opportunity to see some of the classical buildings, which he had read about in books. He brought new ideas along and began to remodel his house. One of the new designs he added was an octagonal dome.

Jefferson loved to have more space in his house. The dining table would be set up only at mealtimes. His bed was screened off by thick walls that contained storage space and was situated in the middle of the room so that it opened to two sides: to his study room and to his bedroom. He chose the staircase to be narrow so that it did not take up lots of space. As much as he enjoyed open spaces, he loved to have bright rooms. He brought in huge mirrors that worked to reflect the light from the outside and bring it in.