Discover these 10 presidential home sites in Virginia

From America’s first to 28th president, Virginia is home to more POTUS winners than any other state.

With the exception of one president, the birthplaces and/or homes of the nine commonwealth men who led the country are open to the public. From the masterful architecture of Monticello to the nearly 300-year-old Berkeley Plantation, here’s your opportunity to learn more about these magnificent presidential estates.

George Washington

• Birthplace: George Washington Birthplace National Monument
• Location: 1732 Pope’s Creek Rd, Colonial Beach, VA 22443

The nation’s first president was born in the Northern Neck of Virginia. While the original structure overlooking Popes Creek no longer stands, there is an outline of the home’s foundation on the ground. 

Visitors to the national monument can explore what life was like in the 1730s, explore a Colonial Revival garden, and meet heritage breeds of farm animals. George Washington’s father, grandparents and great-grandparents are buried on the grounds in a family cemetery. 

NPS photo of Washington’s Birthplace

• Home: Mount Vernon
• Location: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy, Mount Vernon, VA 22121

Averaging one million guests a year, George Washington’s Mount Vernon opened to the public in 1860.  There’s plenty to do on the sprawling estate, open 365 days a year. 

“Guests visiting the estate can view Washington’s Mansion and many other original structures. The historic footprint also includes the tomb of George and Martha Washington and a memorial dedicated to the enslaved people who lived and worked on the estate,” according to the Mount Vernon website. “Interpretive spaces such as the Farm and George Washington’s Gristmill & Distillery provide a rich understanding of Washington’s enterprising and profitable business ventures.”

Mount Vernon photo by Theodor Horydczak/Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson

• Home: Monticello
• Location: 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Boasting approximately 11,000 square feet of living space, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello dazzles guests with dozens of rooms, 13 skylights, a spectacular Dome Room, and more. Designed and redesigned by the president himself, Jefferson lived in the home both before and after his years in the White House, 1801 to 1809.

“To understand Jefferson, one must understand Monticello; it can be seen as his autobiographical statement,” according to the Monticello website.

Monticello photo by Theodor Horydczak/Library of Congress

James Madison

• Home: Montpelier
• Location: 11350 Constitution Hwy, Montpelier Station, VA 22957

Known as the Father of the Constitution, Architect of the Bill of Rights, and fourth President of the United States, James Madison called Montpelier home. The property welcomed generations of Madisons, starting with the president’s grandparents in the early 1730s. 

The National Park Service website states that “in the late 1750s, Madison’s father began building the house where Madison grew up and to which he returned permanently following his retirement as president in 1817.”

Montpelier photo by Carol M. Highsmith/ Library of Congress

James Monroe

• Home: Highland
• Location: 1000 James Monroe Pkwy, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Did you know that James Monroe and Thomas Jefferson were neighbors? The fifth president’s property sat adjacent to Jefferson’s. Today, visitors not only learn about Monroe, but also about the “scores of enslaved men, women, and children who performed the bulk of Highland’s production and maintenance.”

William Henry Harrison

• Birthplace: Berkeley Plantation
• Location: 12602 Harrison Landing Rd, Charles City, VA 23030

Home to one of the first plantations in America, the birthplace of the ninth president has its fair share of claims to fame. While the house itself wasn’t built until 1726, the property was the site of the first official Thanksgiving in America in 1619—two years before the Massachusetts celebration. 

Berkeley Plantation was also the ancestral home of the nation’s 23rd president, Benjamin Harrison. Although Benjamin was born in Ohio, he was William’s grandson. 

Berkeley Plantation photo from the Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)

John Tyler

• Home: Sherwood Forest Plantation
• Location: 14501 John Tyler Memorial Hwy, Charles City, VA 23030

In the Tyler family since 1842, the history of Sherwood Forest Plantation spans even further back. The property’s first home was likely constructed around 1660, but was destroyed by fire between 1700 and 1720. The second house arose between 1720 and 1730, and many additions continued until 1845. When it was all said and done, Sherwood was—and still is—the longest frame house in America.

House tours are available by appointment only, by contacting the grandson of President Tyler, who manages the estate. 

Sherwood Forest Plantation photo from the Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)

Zachary Taylor

• Birthplace: Montebello
• Location: Near Barboursville, Orange County, Virginia

How would you like the nickname “Old Rough and Ready?” That’s what folks called the nation’s 12th president. Zachary Taylor didn’t stay in the commonwealth long; in fact, his parents fell ill while traveling and stopped to stay with relatives in Virginia to recover. During that time, the president was born—likely in a secondary building at Montebello, rather than the main house. Tyler’s family moved to Kentucky when he was an infant.

The president’s birthplace is part of a private estate and is not open to the public. A historical marker erected near the site in 1929 is located at the intersection of Spotswood Trail (US 33) and Old Montebello Drive.

Montebello photo from the Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South

Woodrow Wilson

• Birthplace: Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
• Location: 24 North Coalter St, Staunton, VA 24401

Our nation’s 28th president called Staunton home—now, his house is a site where history and hands-on learning meet. The campus hosts events for the community often, ranging from engaging World War I lectures to a conversation over tea about women’s suffrage. 

“Step into the life and times of one of America’s most influential presidents. Immerse yourself in the World War I trench exhibit, take a peek at Wilson’s Pierce-Arrow limousine, walk the halls in the house where he was born and learn more about what makes Wilson a consequential and controversial president,” the museum’s website reads. 

Manse photo from the Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)