The Road
Discovering Madison
"Having lost ourselves in the mountain road which leads thro' a wild woody tract of ground, and wandering for some time in Mr. Madison's domain, which seemed interminable, we at last reached his hospitable mansion."
- Margret Bayard Smith, 1828
The road connected Montpelier with the world, produce and supplies, along with a steady stream of people on foot, on horseback, and in carriages, bumped and rattled their way to and from Montpelier. It took the Madisons one hour to journey five miles to the nearest town, Orange Court House, where they shopped, attended church, and conducted legal business. It took one day for enslaved teamsters to deliver the plantation's tobacco to the Fredericksburg market. It took months for Dolley's Parisian dresses and James's books from London to reach their destination. After the Madisons retired, friends, family, and admirers traveled for days to pay their respects. All who braved the rutted mud of the wild woody track knew that a warm welcome awaited at Motpelier's front door.
Marker is on Montpelier Road, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
