National Register of Historic Places

Highland

Simeon, Albemarle County, Virginia
Listed
August 13, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73001990

About this property

Highland, formerly Ash Lawn–Highland, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, and adjacent to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, was the estate of James Monroe, a Founding Father and fifth president of the United States. Purchased in 1793, Monroe and his family permanently settled on the property in 1799 and lived at Highland for twenty-five years. Personal debt forced Monroe to sell the plantation in 1825. Before and after selling Highland, Monroe spent much of his time living at the plantation house at his large Oak Hill estate near Leesburg, Virginia. Before owning Highland, Monroe's original local estate was Monroe Hill in Charlottesville, with his residence and law office now comprising the oldest extant buildings at the University of Virginia. Monroe named this estate "Highland". For many years after Monroe's death until 2016, the house was known as Ash Lawn-Highland or merely Ash Lawn. The estate is now owned, operated and maintained by Monroe's alma mater, the College of William & Mary.

Location

Simeon, Albemarle County, Virginia
37.98026, -78.45478

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Sunnyfields
Industrial
0.9 mi
Morven
Industrial
1.5 mi
Monticello
Industrial
2.3 mi
Woolen Mills Village Historic District
Listed
2.9 mi
Piereus Store
Industrial
2.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Highland listed on the National Register?

Highland was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 13, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Highland?

Highland is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Highland?

The period of significance for Highland is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Highland?

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