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| Restoring America’s Heritage |
| Discovering the landscape of U.S. President James Madison's historic estate to learn about the founding fathers' approach to nature. |
     
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On The Expedition Working on the well-maintained grounds of this historic estate with a dramatic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, you will help reveal the set of slave quarters that President Madison located in his mansion yard. You will excavate five-foot-square units to reveal the full extent of chimney bases, trash deposits, yard features, and work surfaces. Back in the lab, you will wash and sort artifacts, float soil samples for botanical remains, and enter data into a computer database. When you're not digging into history yourself, Montpelier staff will provide detailed tours on the estate, including the mansion, the family cemetery, the slave cemetery, an old-growth forest, and a formal garden. Your team will gain an insider's view of historic landscaping and a new appreciation for the early years of the United States. Meals and Accommodations You will stay at an antebellum home located on Montpelier's estate grounds, featuring all the amenities, large spacious halls, attractive rural outbuildings, and other southern comforts. Your team will work together to shop for groceries at the local supermarket and prepare meals limited only by your imagination. Montpelier staff will join you for meals, and some meals may be hosted by members of the local community. More Information 
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Research Summary Montpelier Station, Virginia — Here in the heart of Virginia's historic piedmont region, founding father James Madison is reported to have "thought about government more deeply and with greater effect than anyone in history." While in his political life President Madison created the notion of American citizenship, in his personal life he was a slave owner. This contradiction is embodied in the yard beside the Montpelier mansion where the spectacularly preserved archaeological remains of the quarters for Madison house slaves await archaeological excavation. You can join Dr. Matthew Reeves and the staff of the Montpelier Foundation as they unearth the details of slaves' daily lives, the homes they lived in, and the ceramics and glasswares they used in their homes. Your efforts will give new perspective to Madison's legacy and early American perspectives on the environment and society. Meet the Scientists  Dr. Matthew Reeves Montpelier Foundation |
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About the Research Area Orange County, Virginia is predominately rural and covers approximately 354 square miles (226,560 acres). It's about 70 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia, 75 miles south of Washington, DC, and 25 miles northeast of Charlottesville, Virginia. The town of Orange has several restaurants, a food market, hardware stores, and a historic downtown. Nearby towns of Culpepper (20 miles to the north) and Charlottesville (30 miles to the southwest) have a wide array of stores and entertainment. Volunteers will be able to move freely in the community and have access to churches, restaurants, and a variety of locations to visit and explore outside of the immediate research area. Previous Earthwatch teams have enjoyed visits to historic homes, the University of Virginia campus, and shopping and dining in Charlottesville. Others have simply enjoyed relaxing in the large living room and screened porch at Arlington House while knitting, reading, or talking with fellow volunteers. The work area is grassy and well maintained by Montpelier staff. Insects are not a cause of irritation with proper archaeology attire. Some wild animals that you might see while on the expedition are wild turkeys (the field in front of Arlington House is a favorite spot for them), white-tail deer, black bears, black snakes, copperheads (very infrequent), garter snakes, foxes, skunks, possums, and lots of squirrels! Montpelier has numerous hiking trails on the property that are well maintained and allow access to remote portions of the wooded 2,700-acre property. |
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Locations shown are approximate.
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