This past weekend I went with my friend Janet (of
JCB fame) and some friends to
Poplar Forest, the country retreat of Thomas Jefferson.
Everyone is familiar with
Monticello, in Charlottesville, VA. but not everyone knows his country home & plantation some 90 miles away. The house was built after Monticello, beginning in 1806, as a way to escape the crowds which gathered to hear him speak. Many of his architectural ideals were able to crystalize and work themselves out here and he fondly called it his most valuable posesssion.
front porch detail The house is in the form of an octagon, a shape Jefferson was obsessed with. On a practical level, it was a way to have the most surface area and windows for ventilation.
The building is a simple country house, meant as a private retreat, based on Palladian ideals. The center of the octagon shape is a dining room, a 20 foot cube which is lit by a large skylight. A double bed chamber for Jefferson (with the bed built into a nook between them, similar to Monticello and a favorite detail of mine) and 2 bedrooms for grandchildren flank the dining room, as does the salon and the small entry hall. These are the main areas of the house.
The grounds have been sold off over the years, but the views from the house make it appear as if the original 4,800 acres are still intact. As the long journey took 3 days, Jefferson would retire here for long weeks at a time - his favorite activity was to study and read.
Even the 2 outhouses, which symmetrically flank the main house, are octagons. This one below has some servants quarters which were built in the late 19th century which I believe are going to be removed.
The house is a fascinating place, not just for the history,but for what is being undertaken at the moment. Subsequent owners and fires have modified the house to the point where it was barely recognizable to its original form. The organization managing the property has gutted it down to its structural brick which make up the exterior and even interior walls. It is being rebuilt using the same tools and techniques available to Jefferson at the time.
A large portion of the tour is showing the layers of construction and what goes into the process. I would highly recomend this to any architecture student (or architect) as a really fascinating look into how building technology has changed. They really are doing an excellent job of portraying the construction: Trust me, it's not boring! I can't wait to go back in a few years and see the progress!
These scuppers (or roof drains) got water off the service wing roof (known as the office) which housed the kitchens and allowed the surface to be a deck for Jefferson and his grandchildren to use as a promenade. An example of how it was constructed lays in the wing below.
Visit the main website to plan your visit
HERE
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Adjacent to the Pritzger Pavilion, by Frank Gehry,are 2 other interesting pieces of sculpture that really capture 2 different styles of monuments.
The first is a very classical structure, the Millennium Monument in Wrigley Square. It is a slightly smaller version of a Greek (doric) styled monument, designed by Edward Bennett, (who also designed the famous Buckingham Fountain nearby) which stood nearby from 1917 till 1953. I love classical structures like these, but sadly it was the emptiest part of the whole park.
The Cloud-gate, lovingly nicknamed the bean for obvious reasons, was immensly more popular. I could see why: totally interactive, people loved to look at their own reflections 'carnival style' and walk in, around and under it. 
The sculpture sits in the AT&T plaza section: built of polished steel, it weighs in at 110 TONS! The heavy work was the first installation by artist Anish Kapoor in the United States and cost upwards of $23 million -about 5 times more than the classical Millenium monument! It is meant to depict a drop of mercury right before impact with the ground. The sculpture was hand polished on site after delivery to hide the weld-lines. They did a good job because it is amazingly PERFECT (although it could do with a good washing with windex!). You can easily see why this is the most popular piece in the park! If you plan a trip to Chicago (and you must!) plan to visit the Millennium Park!
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Meant to hold the complicated sound system, I wonder why a vinyl or canvas covering could not be stretched over it in the wintertime for more year round use. It seems much more practical to me and would not break the covenant for no buildings in the park as it would be a temporary structure. Just my 2 cents!
Never mind that it cost around $60 million, it was well worth it as it's probably one of the most visited attraction in Chicago these days!
A lot has been said in the media lately about local desinations being popular this summer or the 'staycation'. Use this little reminder as your incentive to get out there and see something new: it is the season after all!
Enjoy the fountain video- turn up your sound!
Rainbows are a reminder that tomorrow is always another day. 
(bonus points if you name that movie!)
Located across from the National Archives at 9th St NW & Pennsylvania Avenue in a little grassy plot, a simple piece of square marble simply says: "In memory of: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1882 - 1945" as seen above. 
While at Poplar Forest this past weekend, we were suprised by a group of antique cars in the parking lot as we left. 
I have to admit to not being a 'car' person, I don't even own one as I live in the city, but I do appreciate the design aspect.
My favorite was this old blue Ford. They don't make them like this anymore...
So elegant
Even the interior!
This 1920's chrysler roadster was next to it. I love the snappy yellow & green.
and a real 'trunk'! So thats where that term came from.....
wood spoked wheels....
even a wood steering wheel!
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