page_title: Montpelier (Orange, Virginia)
section_title: Restoration
hierarchical_section_title: Montpelier (Orange, Virginia) / National Trust Property / Restoration
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial photo of the front of the mansion on the ground of James Madison's Montpelier
context_page_description: James Madison's Montpelier, located in Orange County, Virginia, was the plantation house of the Madison family, including fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and his wife Dolley. The 2,650-acre property is open seven days a week with the mission of engaging the public with the enduring legacy of Madison's most powerful idea: government by the people.
  Montpelier was declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. It was included in the Madison-Barbour Rural Historic District in 1991. In 1983, the last private owner of Montpelier, Marion duPont Scott, bequeathed the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
  The National Trust for Historic Preservation has owned and operated the estate since 1984. In 2000, The Montpelier Foundation formed with the goal of transforming James Madison's historic estate into a dynamic cultural institution. From 2003–2008 the NTHP carried out a major restoration, in part to return the mansion to its original size of 22 rooms as it was during the years when it was occupied by James and Dolley Madison. Extensive interior and exterior work was done during the restoration.
context_section_description: A $25 million restoration project launched in October 2003 was completed on Constitution Day, September 17, 2008. A Restoration Celebration was held with major funding by National Trust Community Investment Corporation. The restoration returned Montpelier to its 1820 appearance: it demolished additions made to the house by the duPont family, removed the stucco exterior to reveal the original brick, restored the original brick exterior, and reconstructed the house's interior as it appeared during Madison's tenure as owner.  Authentic materials were used in the restoration, including horsehair plaster, and paint containing linseed oil and chalk. The Collections staff and archaeologists are working to understand the decorations of each room and recreate room settings as closely as possible to what the Madisons knew.
  A wing in the visitors' center has been dedicated to the duPont family.  It includes a restored art deco Red Room from the Marion duPont Scott era, moved from the mansion and permanently installed here.
caption: Aerial photo of the front of the mansion at James Madison's Montpelier
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