Saving Monticello: The Levy Family's Epic Quest to Rescue the House that Jefferson Built

by Marc Leepson

Recounts the story of Jefferson's beloved estate after his heirs sold it in order to repay his debts, narrating the attempts by the Levy family to renovate the property before a foundation was established for its upkeep.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Architecture, American History, American

303 pages, Hardcover

First published October 23, 2001

About the author

Historian and journalist Marc Leepson is the author of nine books, including Ballad of the Green Beret: The Life and Wars of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler (Stackpole, 2017); What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, A Life (Palgrave, 2014); Lafayette: Lessons in Leadership from the Idealist General, a concise biography of the Marquis de Lafayette (Palgrave, 2011); Desperate Engagement, the story of the Civil War Battle of Monocacy (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007); Flag: An American Biography, a history of the American flag from the beginnings to today (Thomas Dunne, 2005); and Saving Monticello, the first complete history of Thomas Jefferson's House (Free Press, 2001, University of Virginia Press, 2003, paperback).

A former staff writer for Congressional Quarterly, Marc Leepson is the arts editor, senior writer, and columnist for The VVA Veteran, the magazine published by Vietnam Veterans of America.

He has written about the Vietnam War and Vietnam veterans and other topics for many other newspapers and magazines, including the Washington Post, New York Times, New York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Newsday, the Arizona Republic, Smithsonian, World War II, Vietnam, Military History and Preservation Magazines, Civil War Times, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Encyclopedia Americana, and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography.


He has been a guest on many television and radio news programs, including All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, On the Media, CBS This Morning Saturday, History Detectives, The Diane Rehm Show,Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CBC (Canada), the BBC News Hour, and Irish Radio. And he has given talks at many colleges and universities, including the University of Maryland, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Miami, Appalachian State University, the College of Southern Maryland and Georgetown University.


He tought U.S. history at Lord Fairfax Community College in Warrenton, Virginia from 2008-2015. He graduated from George Washington University in 1967. He was then drafted into the U.S. Army and served for two years, including a year in the Vietnam War. After his military service, he earned an MA in history from GWU in 1971. He lives in Middleburg, Virginia, with his wife. They have two adult children.

Reviews

[Alan Kaplan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating book on the history of Monticello. When Thomas Jefferson died, he left his family with a debt of over $100,000. His entire estate, including Monticello had to be liquidated by his surviving daughter. It is hard to believe, but true, that no one wanted to buy Monticello or most of his personal possessions. The state of Virginia and the federal government refused to buy the property. Uriah Levy, a Jewish officer in the US Navy bought the property and his family maintained the property for almost 90 years. Essentially saving Monticello in the process. Along Mulberry Row, on the southern side of the house, there is a grave with Jewish dates of Uriah Levy's mother. During one if my visits to Monticello, I wondered why that sole grave was there, and just exactly who are these Levy's. In a strange, but true way, this book provides an incredibly interesting back story of Monticello's surprising history.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating preservation story, which is not a bit like many other preservation stories. Well-researched and well written.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sloppy editing and uneven timelines make this book somewhat hard to follow. The detailed accounts of documented activity can read like a bogged down social register and you may find yourself asking, "Why did the author think this was important?" But the answer, on every page, is clearly, "because these people helped save Monticello." Skim the mini paragraphs near the end itemizing Jefferson Levy's rigorous travel schedule and focus on the big picture. Uriah Levy (pronounced "leh-vee") and then his nephew Jefferson, contributed significantly to the preservation of Monticello. Along the way, various do gooders and ne'er do wells got their hands in (sometimes at the same time). Though a preserved historical estate is not a strange idea to us now, Saving Monticello is an excellent illustration of just how strange that idea once was, and how we got to where we are: a country where the mere fact Thomas Jefferson once read a book in a chair makes it a noteworthy artifact.

I'd definitely recommend reading this book before visiting (or revisiting) Monticello. Note the pictures, especially, in order to fully appreciate the condition in which you now view the home and its surrounding property.

If anyone has any other recommended books on this subject, I'm game.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-researched and presented story of what happened to Monticello after Thomas Jefferson's death. A colorful family including an iconoclastic Navy commander and his nephew, a New York financial speculator, purchased and kept up Jefferson's home during many years in which no one else wanted it, and during which it would certainly have gone to ruin. Then, a vehement campaign on the part of a disgruntled woman, which may have been partially anti-Semitic in intent, browbeat the owner, Jefferson Levy, into putting the home up for sale, and it was eventually purchased by a historical foundation dedicated to Jefferson. But for years, the ownership and contributions of the Levy family were swept under the rug, until recent scholarship restored the "rest of the picture" of the saving of Monticello. Fascinating read.

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very detailed book about the Levy (pronounced Levee) family's occupation of Monticello. It shows how our young country was incapable of handling anything like a historically significant building in the years after Jefferson's death or of being able to take care of his daughter who had lived in the house and was poor. And, it took about 100 years for our country to be able to do so. The Levy family (very wealthy New York Jews) took over the house and maintained it off and on during the 19th and early 20th centuries (interrupted by the South's confiscation of a "Northerner's" home during the Civil War.

Over the years, the Levy family have not received the credit and recognition due them for maintaining and preserving such an important residence. There was a degree of anti-Semitism to it and the fact that a private individual owned what should have been owned by the people of the country. However since the mid-1980s, they are now being praised. I have mixed feelings about it. I feel that Uriah Levy bought the house to not only be patriotic, but to further his social standing. Now the country would have to include him in history and he would have access to all the important people because of it. I consider it like buying into royalty or an ecclesiastical (simony) position. You get there because you're rich. Either way, we still have Monticello because of them and it is part of our young nation's history. And, I believe we learned from it.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the history and owners of Thomas Jefferson's home from Jefferson, himself, through to the present owner, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation.

Many people may assume that when Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 the house was left to some preservation trust. This is not the case. When Thomas Jefferson passed away, he was over $100,000 (approx. 2 million dollars by today's standards) in debt and Monticello was sold.

Over the years, there were a number of owners and caretakers, but none as significant (in my opinion) as the Levy family. Did you know that the Levy family owned Monticello longer than Jefferson did?

This book gives [long overdue:] recognition to the stewardship of the Levy family. We owe a great deal of thanks to this family for their commitment to preserving this important monument for future generations.

Along the way, author Marc Leepson, describes the many pitfalls that almost destroyed this fine home. One of the most interesting stories surrounds the home during the Civil War when the home was seized under the South's Sequestration Act.

Check out this book to learn more and discover other interesting facts surrounding the history of Monticello.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book of history on many levels. The history of the house is interesting enough, but the intrigues of ownership are really amazing. Reading about the attitude and ineptitude of the US government in relation to owning, maintaining and restoring this historical jewel was rather shocking. Like Mount Vernon, it took a private group to finally purchase the house to keep it from disintegrating back into the Virginia soil. A great read!

[Keli Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about about this book on the Diane Rehm show website and then found it at my local library. I really enjoyed reading about this. I had no idea all of this happened with Monticello. It was so interesting. I am ready to go visit Monticello now and fun fact I did not know until the end, the author is from Middleburg, VA my father's home town.

[Tim Jarrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written telling of an unjustly ignored episode in American history - how two generations of the Levy family kept Monticello from falling into ruin after Jefferson’s death. Great history, great story. Bonus points for two mentions of Virginia Glee Club history as well!

One star off because the Apple Books edition I read was mysteriously missing every paragraph separator, which is why it took me several years to make myself sit down and read it.

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So interesting to me to learn about the Levy famiy and all that happened to save Monticello. I have been there and loved seeing it in person. Want to go again now that I have read this history!

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF
The book started out very interesting but became very difficult to read halfway through. The author researched the topic well but lost me with with the exorbitant amount of details about people’s lives.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great for aficionados of Jefferson and/or Monticello but slow-moving for the casual reader. It's meticulously researched and pleasantly written considering the density of information conveyed, but does get hung up in some spots. In places, it seems like multiple documents are cited when one would do. Overall, though, not a bad read.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting--I am certainly glad the home and grounds have been preserved and are accessible to the public--we enjoyed our visit there this summer and 8 years ago as well

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story of presevation, litigation, and social/political influence on private property. At times hard to read, but worth finishing.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an interesting, but confusing read.

[Zvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book!!! a crucial book to read if interested in the history of America 1875-1920

[David Eppenstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas Jefferson died July 4, 1826. Monticello, Jefferson's utterly unique American home was inherited by Jefferson's only surviving daughter, Martha Randolph. Because the house had been seriously neglected for some time Martha could not afford to keep the house. After two years Monticello was sold and remained in private hands until 1923 when it was finally acquired by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation. It took nearly a century for the public to realize the significance of this house and retrieve it from private hands and then even longer to overcome the anti-semitism that prevented the just acknowledgment of the Levy family's efforts to protect and preserve this national treasure.

While this is the story of the survival of Monticello it is also the story of the Levy family that owned Monticello for almost 90 years, much longer than the Jefferson family owned it. The Levys were Jews in Anglo-Saxon Protestant America and they were successful in that culture. Uriah Levy was responsible for buying Monticello from the first private owner and Uriah set about trying to refurbish the house. Uriah, however, was also a career officer in the U.S. Navy and rose to rank of commodore. On Uriah's death he left a will that required Monticello to be given to the federal government to be used as a school for the orphaned children of naval warrant officers. The will was challenged and found to be unenforceable which resulted in all the Levy heirs now having a share in the house. Of course this resulted in years of litigation until a nephew of Uriah, Jefferson Monroe Levy, was able to buy up the interests of his relatives to become the single owner of Monticello in 1879. Decades passed and the new owner became a very successful and wealthy businessman. With this wealth Jefferson was able to restore Monticello to its glory days as well as acquire much if not all the land surrounding Monticello that had been sold by Thomas Jefferson to pay his debts. Jefferson may have been a brilliant man but he was a terrible businessman and seems never to have seen the value of a budget and keeping within it. When Jefferson died his estate was woefully insufficient to cover his debts which also contributed to Martha having to sell the house.

So the home of Thomas Jefferson was owned by a wealthy New York Jewish businessman that, like his uncle Uriah, was a Jefferson admirer and devotee. He used his wealth to restore the house and to successfully ingratiate himself into the Charlottesville, Va. community. All was fine for decades until one probably anti-semitic woman attended a dinner hosted by Jefferson Levy at Monticello. This woman was dumbfounded to learn that a Jew owned Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. This woman started a public outcry to get Congress to condemn the property and seize it from the hands of this "alien". It should be noted that the woman's husband was a congressman but then so was Jefferson Levy.

This woman started a national campaign which spawned other similar organizations and the idea of historic preservation became a national endeavor which put public interest in direct conflict with private property ownership. This book becomes sort of a soap opera of historic proportions with some interesting cultural history added. It is a worthwhile read but all the details about wills, estates, financing, congressional hearings etc might be more than a lot of readers might care for. Nevertheless, if you are interested in Jefferson or in Monticello it's worth reading. Enjoy.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike the writer of fiction who can, with a novella, span the distance between the short story and novel, non-fiction writers have difficulty writing a piece of intermediate length between the article and the book. Marc Leepson’s Saving Monticello provides a useful example of the problems that occur when an author tries to expand a fine article (in his case, a 3,500-word piece for Preservation magazine) into a length the material cannot sustain.

The reader of Saving Monticello often feels he is reading the attempt of an undergraduate trying to make word count on a writing assignment. Leepson seems to throw in all his research notes (what in the day we’d call “the flutter of 4 x 6 cards”), uses full quotations when a few words would do, repeats contemporary gossip at length and then spends just as much time demolishing its accuracy, and retails long newspaper accounts of social and ceremonial occasions simply because the information survived.

Here, for instance, is a paragraph from page 126: “Levy added significantly to his real estate at Monticello in the 1890s. On April 9, 1890, he purchased the Brennan Tract (also known as the Carlton Estate), consisting of 120 acres contiguous to Jefferson’s mountain. Two years later, on May 2, 18 1892, Jefferson Levy bought 173 ½ acres from George C. Eakins. On November 1, 1897, he acquired one final contiguous parcel, the 112 ½ -acre Keller tract from Thomas S. Keller and his wife. After subsequently selling some 45 of those acres, Jefferson Levy brought the total of acreage around Monticello to 663.” All the reader really needs to know is that Levy bought and sold contiguous land and ended with 663 acres around Monticello. The details go in the footnotes.

The story of Monticello after Jefferson is a worthy one, and the Levys deserve a literary tip-of-the-hat for helping preserve a distinguished piece of American architecture; but cutting a hundred pages from the text would have made the story more readable, though also less likely to have been accepted by a major publisher.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm marking this "read," although to be completely honest, I didn't quite finish it. It's rare for me to get within 50 or so pages of finishing a book and not actually read to the end, but I just couldn't do it. The book started out quite promisingly - the early chapters about Jefferson's death, his debts, and what happened to the house after that were quite interesting - but things started to fall apart for me around Chapter 3. This was when the author started putting in detail after detail about Jefferson Levy's activities - when he went to Europe, when he came back, when he went to Monticello, who *else* went to Monticello, who they entertained there, etc - and none of it really advanced the narrative or was very interesting. There was the same sort of problem when he started describing the efforts by Mrs. Littleton and others to wrest Monticello away from Levy and acquire it for the nation. The book just plodded along with Leepson noting every hearing, every pamphlet, every newspaper article, etc. For such a short book it seemed to be taking forever to get to the end and I finally just didn't want to devote any more time to it.

[Brianna Melick · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who spends her entire day talking about Thomas Jefferson and his legacy while working at his home, knowing and understanding Monticello's entire story is of the utmost importance. I was given this book by a colleague of mine because the long history of the Levy family has become a research topic that I have jumped head first into. Uriah Levy is a Jewish-American hero and so is his nephew, Jefferson Monroe Levy, without them, it is very likely that we would not have Monticello still today. Or at the very least the way that it is today. The Levy family's story at Monticello is just as important as Thomas Jefferson's story and this book does a great job at describing just how many hardships they went through just to simply keep ahold of the home. Through trials of war, finances, the public showing up to the property, anti-Semitism, and the many times it was almost forcibly taken from them. This book is good for anyone interested in learning about the perseverance behind those who were caretakers of our national treasures as well as anyone interested in Jewish history and preservation of history. Well researched and fabulously put together.

[Milinda Yount · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book essentially covering the period between Thomas Jefferson's death and the eventual sale of Monticello to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation almost one hundred years later. One family owned Monticello the majority of that time -- Uriah Levy and his nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy. If you visit or plan to visit Monticello and want to know how in the world did they manage to restore this house so we can see what it was like then, this book answers part of that question -- for the story of the house and property itself. It doesn't go into the work done by the foundation later to research the rooms in detail and acquisition of original furnishings and objects.

I read this after getting a recommendation during my Monticello tour from the tour guide and enjoyed it a lot. It does get a little tedious at times to read as the painstaking detail is given for the years of contention when the owners were pressured to sell or give away their land and summer home where their family lived much longer than the Jeffersons did.

[Tom Mockensturm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught my interest on a recent trip to Monticello. I assumed that Jefferson's home has always been a shrine from the day of his death. That on that day, they enshrined his belongings and turned it into a beloved shrine to the nation's independence! Boy, was I wrong. The book contains one epiphany after another on what happnened to Jefferson's Monticello after he died, leaving his daughter $100,000 in debt. This is a fascinating, yet verbose, history of the house that covers from its creation by Jeffereson to the 1980's, when Jefferson Levy finally got the recognition for saving Monticello! (I also came up with the conclusion that politicians have not changed much over the years.) This author did his homework!

[Abra Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is interesting about how Monticello changed hands and was in ruin several times during it's lifetime. The Levy family definitely played an instrumental role in ensuring that it didn't fall into total ruin. They put a great deal of money into the home and grounds. However, this book could have been 1/2 as long. There are repetitive details throughout. Leepson just didn't need to say the same thing over and over. I thought it was dry and a struggle to get through.

[Doug Ebeling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting account of the Jewish American family that rescued Monticello from ruin in the 1800s and then were pilloried and slandered by an anti-semitic wife of a Congressman who tried to wrest ownership from them to the government. Not the best written book I've read, but the history here is so interesting that I forged through.

[Gerry Connolly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Saving Monticello is Marc Leepson’s story of how an American Jewish family— the Levys— saved Jefferson’s home from ruin and owned it for 89 years. It took some time for the current curators to acknowledge the Levys’ feat of architectural preservation. A truly dull book with lots of boring details and so little description of the actual splendor of Jefferson’s masterpiece.

[Dmm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to read. The Kindle version is terrible with runon words and other formatting problems.

The Kindle version is terrible with runon words and other formatting problems. The story was mostly interesting but I found some of the Levy Family details tedious.

[Ian Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great overview of the years between Jefferson's death in 1826 and the creation of the Monticello Foundation in 1923.

Would love a 2nd volume that talks about the renovation work done since 1923

[Chris Jarred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, if not terribly well written.

[Jared Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about what happened to Monticello after Jefferson's death. Answered a lot of questions I had when visiting the mansion.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the history of Monticello's preservation, and how it survived to become the grand monument that it is today thanks to one family. A very interesting read.