Ashlawn-Highlands was the home of the fifth president of US, James Monroe. Originally, it was named Highlands in reference to Monroe''s Scottish heritage, but later the Massie family bought it, planted Ash trees and named it Ashlawn.
We visited the house during a special event, Open House, that commemorates Monroes'' November 23, 1799 move into their historic Albermarle-County home. The Monroes were living in Charlottesville where the University of Virginia is located. However, Jefferson wanted both Monroe and Madison to move close to Monticello, so, they could create "a society to our taste". Jefferson selected the land and even oversaw the construction.
The guide was very helpful, told us about the life of James Monroe, as well as, the Monroe''s life in the Highlands. I learned more about the Monroe Doctrine, which still impacts politics today. On the down side, some part of the original house was burned after the Monroes moved out and on that foundation a new part was built. The house did not impress me much as the original part was pretty small. However, the tranquility of the grounds, and the view was impressive. This is the first place I visited with pet peacocks.
The admission for this Open House was $8 for adults and $5 for children, while it was free for us, the locals.