The Founding Fathers and their Homes/Artifacts

• cbus4life

  How many people enjoy visiting the homes and museums of our founding fathers?
  
  What do you feel when you're in the same place, in the same room, that was once occupied by Washington, Jefferson, Adams, etc.?
  
  Had any other neat "encounters" with the founding fathers, as it were?
  
  I'm a huge history nerd, and still get choked up when i'm around items that once belonged to the founding fathers. My friends in the archives/museum field laugh at me, as i've not worked in the field much and have not grown "bored" with it as they have, since they work with those amazing materials every day.
  
  But, as far as my own experience goes, i was given a tour of the rare materials area once at the Library of Congress and actually got to hold and flip through material that once belonged to Jefferson, with his notes and the like in the margins. Seeing that, and thinking that he could have used this text while working to draft the Declaration of Independence, was pretty amazing.
  
  And, of course, i visit Monticello and Mount Vernon whenever i get the chance.
• Cleveland Buck

  

  No one gives a fuck about the founding fathers. No one even knows who they are or what they did anymore.
• I Wear Pants

  I love visiting cool places like that.
  
  I've got a bunch of books about the founding fathers and that whole time period.
  
  People know who they are.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  I've been to Mt. Vernon and it was great. The view from his porch of the Potomac was awesome.
  Since I live in DC, I love to slog around and find the historical places that are off the beaten path.
• bigkahuna

  I haven't done it since 8th grade, but visiting Mt. Vernon, Monticello, and seeing the original documents is by far one of the best things I've ever done. I agree with you, going to the Founding Fathers' homes, seeing their masterpieces, and their monuments is always special.
• believer

  

  I get a bigger rush when standing on great battlefields like Gettysburg.
• CenterBHSFan

  

  I've been to some of the major battlefields, Monticello, Arlington/cemetery, Mt. Vernon and a few other places.
  
  Mt. Vernon and Arlington, as far as houses go - GOAT
  
  I didn't experience the same awe of Monticello. In fact, as a huge fan of historical architecture, I was even all that much in-like with it. I think he got the Palladian concept skewed a little. Perhaps he was trying to mesh his own vision with that style, I don't know/remember.
• cbus4life

  believer wrote: I get a bigger rush when standing on great battlefields like Gettysburg.

  True. Being at Gettysburg and Antietam was unreal.
• bcubed

  

  I love this part of history as well. I have been to Monticello and are planning a trip in the next few years to Mt Vernon as well as others. If any of you haven't been to Colonial Williamsburg Virginia/Jamestown/Yorktown, I would highly recommend a trip. Our family vacations there most every year.
• I Wear Pants

  Philly is fun. Cheese-steaks + history = fun.
• cbus4life

  bcubed wrote: I love this part of history as well. I have been to Monticello and are planning a trip in the next few years to Mt Vernon as well as others. If any of you haven't been to Colonial Williamsburg Virginia/Jamestown/Yorktown, I would highly recommend a trip. Our family vacations there most every year.

  Completely agree. Williamsburg is a great time.
  
  Really jealous of my friend who attended William & Mary there.
• bigkahuna

  I think it was in Gettysburg
  
  The entire 8th grade class ran up this hill, and I think there was some remains of a small fort at the top.
  
  That was a rush because it was like charging the fort during the battle.
• CenterBHSFan

  

  Here's a nice virtual tour of Mt. Vernon for those who haven't been there yet, and want to catch a glimpse
  
  http://www.mountvernon.org/virtual/index.cfm/ss/2/
• Sonofanump

  CenterBHSFan wrote: I've been to some of the major battlefields, Monticello, Arlington/cemetery, Mt. Vernon and a few other places.
  
  Mt. Vernon and Arlington, as far as houses go - GOAT
  
  I didn't experience the same awe of Monticello. In fact, as a huge fan of historical architecture, I was even all that much in-like with it. I think he got the Palladian concept skewed a little. Perhaps he was trying to mesh his own vision with that style, I don't know/remember.

  I thought more of the awe of Monticello was the countryside, the view of the adjacent hills, his various gardens. Like he was a self sufficient minimalist king of his own little kingdom.
  
  For those visiting, I enjoyed the lunch at Mickey's Tavern down the street.