A new story
An archaeological dig in 2015 uncovered what is now believed to be the foundation of the 1799 Monroe house.
Photo courtesy of James Monroe's Highland
Recent excavations at Highland — the historic, Charlottesville home of the nation’s fifth president — are upending history. The archaeology, combined with tree-ring dating, shows that the newly discovered foundation, not the modest home still standing on the property, was the Monroe (1799) house. The property is part of William & Mary and is the only U.S. president’s home currently owned by a university.