James Madison's Montpelier We The People Fall 2015 | Page 5

FALL 2015

Slave Descendants Place
Quartz Crystal

In Search of Madison’s
Art Gallery

Families Flock to Montpelier
in Summer

George Gilmore descendant
Rebecca Gilmore Coleman
joined Montpelier slave
descendants Frances Pitchford
and Lillie Green to place a
replica quartz crystal in a
slave quarter duplex being
reconstructed in the South Yard.
The placement of the original
crystal, discovered in 2011, led
Montpelier archaeologists to
conclude it had been placed
intentionally in the foundation.
It is believed that crystals found
at African-American sites
were used to ward off bad luck,
sickness, and malevolent spirits.
The original crystal will be kept
in Montpelier’s collection for
further examination.

In 1816, the Baron de
Montlezun-Labarthette took
notes on several important
spaces at Montpelier,
identifying the South Passage
of the mansion as a gallery
covered in oil paintings. As part
of the Rubenstein Initiative,
the curatorial team recently
reinterpreted the South, Front,
and North Passages, taking a
first step toward identifying and
acquiring the works of art that
were originally in the space. The
new display features periodappropriate picture frames with
handwritten descriptions of the
works taken from a numbered
list of paintings transcribed by a
visitor in the late 1830s.

The word is spreading—
Montpelier is a great summer
getaway for families that provides
entertainment for visitors of all
ages. Overall visitation numbers
this summer were up close to
10%, but visits from children
under age 14 rose over 30% as a
result of our Summer Kids Free
Promotion which ran from July
8 to August 31. School visits in
the fall are still the largest source
of youth engagement but the
summer numbers make it clear
that families enjoy the walking
trails, the cafe, and the wide
variety of tours Montpelier offers.

Meet the Interpreter

Mandi loves the challenge of
historic interpretation, and
she’s become an indispensable
member of Montpelier’s
Education Department. A Civil
War reenactor who has also
worked at Michie’s Tavern and
Ash Lawn-Highland, Mandi has
mastered each of our specialty
tours, serves as a mansion team
leader, and leads tours at all of
our venues. She even works Mud
Camp, an outdoor education
program for school age children.

What sets Montpelier apart from other
historic sites?

Mandi Dean, Amherst County, Virginia

“It’s how the history on the
property comes full circle. We
start in the founding era with the
Madisons and the man