Santa Ynez Valley

Santa Ynez Valley
Our Backyard

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Monticello


After Williamsburg we spent a day visiting Jefferson's home at Monticello.  Since no photography was allowed in the main home, the only images I have are from the garden areas and the separate kitchen.


Looking toward the east entrance of the house while waiting for our tour group to gather.  Note the wind vane above the house.



Jefferson was found of inventions and technology.  The wind vane has a shaft which turns this indicator on the ceiling of the east portico.  He could check the wind direction without going out into the rain.



The west entrance (pictured on US nickels)



Jefferson had developed a taste for French Cuisine while he was a Minister to France.  He brought back many household goods, including items for his kitchen.  At Monticello he establish a very advanced kitchen for the times.






This  is an eight position "stew stove".  Each position could have the fire managed at the proper temperature for whatever was being cooked there.



This is a "spit jack".  This was an automated mechanism for turning a roasting spit in the fireplace.



Jefferson was very interested in horticulture and planted a wide variety of trees, vegetables and ornamental plants.








2 comments:

  1. Hmmm, I must have missed the kitchen when we visited. Don't remember the multi-station stove.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon,
    The kitchen was not part of the main house tour. It was in one of the service wings south of the main house.

    ReplyDelete