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Monticello replicas

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The original Monticello, pictured here, has inspired hundreds of replicas.

Monticello, the Albemarle County, Virginia, plantation home of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, has inspired hundreds of replica buildings.[1] These buildings, built across the United States, have included private residences, museums, academic buildings and banks.[1][2] At one point, the Jefferson Library near Charlottesville maintained a file dating back to the 1960s documenting the replicas.[1]

Designed by Jefferson himself based on his exposure to classical architecture during his diplomatic service in Europe, and rebuilt in its current form between 1796 and 1809, Monticello is considered a major architectural landmark.[3] It is listed as a National Historic Landmark and is the only private residence and thus U.S. presidential home to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[4]

However, Monticello replicas have received negative critical appraisal. A former curator of Ash Lawn–Highland, a home of James Monroe located near Monticello, described them as having "an intrinsic lack of subtlety and a fondness for pretension."[1] The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and operates Monticello, has looked with skepticism on replica projects. Bill Beiswanger, then-director of restoration at Monticello, said in 2003 that Jefferson would be "rather aghast" at the prevalence of replicas.[1] One replica builder in Washington state sought plans for Monticello from the foundation, and not receiving them, toured the house with a tape measure but was stopped from using it by security guards.[5] However, when Friendly's founder S. Prestley Blake was planning his Monticello replica in Connecticut, Monticello officials spent six hours meeting with his builders and answering their questions.[6]

List of documented permanent replicas

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Name Location State Image Year completed Notes Coordinates
Monticello Vineyards Napa California 1984 This one-third scale replica was built as the administration building for Monticello Vineyards by owner John Jay Corley, a Jefferson admirer.[7][8] 38°21′41″N 122°18′21″W / 38.36132°N 122.30577°W / 38.36132; -122.30577 (Monticello Vineyards)
Blake Center for Faith and Freedom, Hillsdale College Somers Connecticut 2014 This replica was built by Friendly's founder and Jefferson devotee S. Prestley Blake and his wife, Helen. It was completed in 2014, when Blake was 100.[6] The 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) building is a perfect replica from the front and includes a three-car garage in the rear.[9] Blake spent $7.7 million to build it, but sold it at auction two years later for $2.1 million.[10] Blake, who lived nearby, never moved into the house but held functions there. In 2019, Blake donated $25 million, along with his nearby estate, to Michigan-based Hillsdale College.[11][12] Hillsdale in turn used $4.85 million to buy three other adjoining properties, including spending $3 million to buy the Monticello replica from the private owner. The college's 2019 land-use plans for the 100-acre (40 ha) campus, to be called the Blake Center for Faith and Freedom, would focus on seminars and lectures related to Christianity, with a full-time chaplain and chapel on site.[13] The first chaplain and executive director of the Blake Center was Anglican priest Alan Crippen.[14] The first floor of the Monticello replica is used for events, while the second floor provides four suites for guest speakers.[15] 42°02′00″N 72°29′24″W / 42.03338°N 72.49009°W / 42.03338; -72.49009 (Blake Center for Faith and Freedom)
Former Integra Bank branch Huntingburg Indiana Sold following the failure of Integra Bank; no longer a bank.[16] 38°18′42″N 86°57′21″W / 38.31158°N 86.95589°W / 38.31158; -86.95589 (Tienda Latina)
First National Bank of Monticello Monticello Indiana 1975 Built as the headquarters of the First National Bank of Monticello following the 1974 destruction of its office at 116 East Washington Street in a tornado. The design was inspired both by the name of the town and the 1976 United States Bicentennial.[17] The branch location was purchased by National City Bank, then Lafayette Bank & Trust in 1996 and ultimately First Merchants Bank in 2009.[17][18] 40°44′47″N 86°45′39″W / 40.74631°N 86.76093°W / 40.74631; -86.76093 (First Merchants Bank, Monticello, Indiana)
Paducah Replica Paducah Kentucky Engineered by Henry Maxwell Lummis.[19] 37°03′17″N 88°38′43″W / 37.05474°N 88.64541°W / 37.05474; -88.64541 (Paducah Monticello Replica)
Ward and Regina Correll Science Complex, University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg Kentucky 2007 Built with a $1 million donation from Ward Correll, the 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m2) building includes classrooms, labs and a 134-seat seminar room.[20][21] 36°44′12″N 84°09′40″W / 36.73679°N 84.16100°W / 36.73679; -84.16100 (Ward and Regina Correll Science Complex)
Chamberlain Hall, Wilbraham & Monson Academy Wilbraham Massachusetts 1997 The 1962 Chamberlain Hall, home to W&M Academy's middle school, was expanded with a building based on Monticello.[22][23] It was built with a $1 million gift from S. Prestley Blake, for whom the middle school was subsequently named, and opened in 1997.[6][24] 42°07′25″N 72°25′58″W / 42.12364°N 72.43271°W / 42.12364; -72.43271 (Chamberlain Hall)
Pi Kappa Alpha Memorial Headquarters Memphis Tennessee 1988 Built in the Southwind development and dedicated during the 1988 Memphis Pi Kappa Alpha convention with nearly 1,000 members in attendance. The building included larger museum exhibit and archival capacity.[1][25] 35°03′19″N 89°47′05″W / 35.05515°N 89.78476°W / 35.05515; -89.78476 (Pi Kappa Alpha Memorial Headquarters)
Wings of a Dove Museum at Trinity Music City Hendersonville Tennessee 1984 This building was opened in 1984 as Ferlin Husky's Wings of a Dove Museum, part of Conway Twitty's tourism complex.[26] Later became part of the Trinity Broadcasting Network's Nashville-area campus.[1] 36°19′22″N 86°33′55″W / 36.32283°N 86.56524°W / 36.32283; -86.56524 (Trinity Music City)
Jim and Sally Nation Hall, Dallas Baptist University Dallas Texas 2015 A 23,000-square-foot (2,100 m2) replica at a slightly larger scale, Nation Hall houses Dallas Baptist University's Gary Cook School of Leadership as well as the office's of the university's president and chancellor.[27][28] 32°42′34″N 96°56′55″W / 32.70950°N 96.94849°W / 32.70950; -96.94849 (Jim and Sally Nation Hall)
Prosperity Bank Sugar Land Banking Center Sugar Land Texas 1999 Built as the headquarters of Southern National Bank prior to its acquisition by Prosperity Bancshares, this 15,100-square-foot (1,400 m2) building is part of a corporate campus that includes replicas of Poplar Forest and the Lawn at the University of Virginia.[1][29][30] 29°37′09″N 95°36′19″W / 29.61908°N 95.60530°W / 29.61908; -95.60530 (Prosperity Bank Sugar Land Banking Center)
Zeta Psi Fraternity House, University of Virginia Charlottesville Virginia 1926 Designed by Louis F. Voorhees in 1924 and completed in 1926, includes a portico that is an exact replica of the one Jefferson designed for Monticello prior to 1772.[31] 38°02′21″N 78°30′08″W / 38.03909°N 78.50229°W / 38.03909; -78.50229 (Zeta Psi House)
St. Paul's Baptist Church South Richmond Virginia 1972 The $670,000 sanctuary and Monticello-inspired entrance complex was completed in 1972 for Weatherford Memorial Baptist Church.[32] Following decades of membership declines, in 2005 the congregation voted to disband and donate its building to the predominantly African-American St. Paul's Baptist Church, which operates the former Weatherford building as a satellite campus.[33] 37°30′06″N 77°28′25″W / 37.50160°N 77.47375°W / 37.50160; -77.47375 (St. Paul's Baptist Church South)
Monticello West Ford Washington c. 2020 Built between 2001 and roughly 2020 by (and to a design by) retired Eastern Washington University professor Dan Sisson. Construction used foraged, salvaged and secondhand materials, including more than 22,000 used bricks.[5][34] 47°52′49″N 117°50′49″W / 47.88039°N 117.84687°W / 47.88039; -117.84687 (Monticello West)

Temporary replicas

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The Virginia pavilion at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, a replica of Monticello, under construction in 1904

With $60,000 in state funding, a temporary Monticello reproduction was erected as Virginia's state pavilion at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, also known as the St. Louis World's Fair. The pavilion was open from May through September 1904. The pavilion displays included a life-size statue of Jefferson, the table on which Jefferson drafted the United States Declaration of Independence and the chair Jefferson used to preside over the United States Senate as vice president.[35]

For the first inauguration of Woodrow Wilson in 1913, a temporary replica of Monticello's portico was erected in front of the White House to serve as the president's viewing stand for the inaugural parade. The selection of Monticello as a design motif was attributed to Wilson's desire for simplicity in inaugural trappings.[36]

Planned replica

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In the 1930s, the U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, William Christian Bullitt Jr., planned to build a Monticello replica to serve as the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. These plans were not seen to completion.[37]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Andrews, Kate (December 29, 2003). "Too many Monticellos?". Danville Register and Bee. Media General News Service. pp. 3A–4A. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  2. ^ "Sharing History: Restoring an American Icon". YouTube. Monticello Podcasts. March 6, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  3. ^ "Tradition and Innovation: The Legacy of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello". HUD USER. May 16, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  4. ^ "Monticello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site". Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  5. ^ a b Heikes, Drexel (April 10, 2020). "Genius or folly? One man's three-decade quest to build a replica of Monticello in the middle of nowhere". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  6. ^ a b c Bisbort, Alan (February 19, 2015). "Monticello Redux: An 100-year-old Jefferson aficionado builds a Monticello replica in Connecticut". Virginia Magazine. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  7. ^ Lander, Jess (May 13, 2024). "'Succession' in Napa Valley: Family feud could tear apart this historic winery". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  8. ^ "MONTICELLO Napa Valley". The Napa Wine Project. October 25, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  9. ^ Saraniero, Nicole (February 19, 2024). "There's a Replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Connecticut". Untapped New York. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  10. ^ "Replica of Jefferson's Monticello sells at auction for $2.1M". Associated Press. June 1, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  11. ^ "Education-business center would feature Monticello replica". The Seattle Times. The Associated Press. February 9, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  12. ^ Ault, Nicole (February 21, 2019). "Friendly's co-founder seeks to donate Monticello replica to Hillsdale". Hillsdale Collegian. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  13. ^ Hoffman, Christopher (September 2020). "How the coming of a conservative Midwestern college divided a small CT town". Connecticut Magazine. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  14. ^ "About Us". The Blake Center for Faith and Freedom – An extension of Hillsdale College in Somers. Hillsdale College. May 14, 2026. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  15. ^ Crawford, Elizabeth (September 7, 2023). "Remembering Prestley Blake's recipe for success". Hillsdale Collegian. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  16. ^ Crane, Matthew (May 11, 2012). "Long time Huntingburg eyesore due to be demolished". Dubois County Free Press. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  17. ^ a b Cullen, Kevin (April 20, 1996). "Lafayette Bank & Trust expands". Journal and Courier. p. A9. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  18. ^ "First Merchants Bank". BankFind. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  19. ^ "Obituary information for Henry Maxwell Lummis". Milner & Orr Funeral Home and Cremation Services. December 14, 1926. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  20. ^ "$1 million donated for science complex". The Times Tribune. August 22, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  21. ^ "University of the Cumberlands Ward Correll Science Building". Johnson Early Architects. 2026-05-13. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  22. ^ "Academics - Chamberlain Hall/ Middle School - Wilbraham & Monson". www.WMA.us. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  23. ^ Salvon, Jonathan (October 29, 2014). "A Blast from the Past". Kuhn Riddle Architects. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  24. ^ Woodcock, Andrew (October 5, 1997). "Friendly's co-founder honored at new academy middle school". The Republican. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  25. ^ "Memorial Headquarters". Pi Kappa Alpha. July 30, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  26. ^ Oermann, Robert K. (May 27, 1984). "Music Village USA Expansions to Tantalize Tennessee Tourists". The Tennessean. p. Showcase-9. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  27. ^ "Gary Cook School of Leadership". Dallas Baptist University. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  28. ^ Poirier, Louise (October 10, 2016). "Small Project Award of Merit: Dallas Baptist University Jim and Sally Nation Hall". Engineering News-Record. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  29. ^ "Prosperity Bank Sugar Land Banking Center (Southern National Bank)". SAH ARCHIPEDIA. September 20, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  30. ^ "Monticello, Headquarters for Prosperity Bank". Mission Constructors. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  31. ^ McClane, Patrick W. (Fall 2005). "Zeta Psi Fraternity House, UVA: Mini-Monticello?" (PDF). Palladiana. pp. 1, 10–13. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  32. ^ "Weatherford Baptist Will Dedicate Addition". Richmond Times-Dispatch. April 15, 1972. p. A6. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  33. ^ "Richmond church not afraid to give itself away". Baptist News Global. August 4, 2005. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  34. ^ Vestal, Shawn (November 21, 2014). "Shawn Vestal: Author, historian building replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello". Spokane Spokesman-Review. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  35. ^ Bennitt, Mark; Stockbridge, Frank Parker (1905). History of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition: Comprising the History of the Louisiana Territory, the Story of the Louisiana Purchase and a Full Account of the Great Exposition, Embracing the Participation of the States and Nations of the World, and Other Events of the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904; Comp. from Official Sources. Universal Exposition Publishing Company. p. 393. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  36. ^ "Jeffersonian Simplicity Is Reflected in Decorations". The Atlanta Journal. Associated Press. March 4, 1913. p. 4.
  37. ^ "Spaso House History". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Russia. U.S. Mission in Russia. April 11, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
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