FALL 2016
What made Montpelier the perfect place for this discussion ?
Thomas Woltz : The Montpelier Design Congress convened national thought leaders in topics ranging from conservation biology and systems engineering to constitutional theory in order to understand the evolution of the institution and to design a vision for its future . The group explored the hypothetical question , “ What would a constitutional amendment for the environment look like ?” There is no better place to explore such an audacious and timely question than on the land of the author of the U . S . Constitution .
What do you think the broader implication of this kind of project is for other historic sites today ?
TW : We hope — and we have approached this project from the beginning with this in mind — the Montpelier Design Congress will be a significant effort toward redefining the potential of historic sites in our nation . By carefully looking at the layered and complex past of Montpelier , we can construct a bold and impactful future for this historic site that expands the range of landscape experiences for future visitors . We aspired to give the public a more intimate understanding of Madison ’ s rapport with all aspects of land : Madison the experimental farmer , Madison the slave owner , and Madison the environmental conservationist . A closer look at the landscapes of Montpelier will yield rich narratives of the site that can be interpreted in ways similar to the clarity of the architectural restoration of eight years ago . Revealing the authentic landscapes of the past while balancing ecological management for a resilient future was a primary goal of this event . Our hope is that historic sites across America will find inspiration in this design process , one that balances restoration ecology with the stewardship of cultural landscapes .
What types of people joined you there and how did you decide who to invite ?
TW : Each of the Congress participants brought a deep knowledge from their area of focus and an inclination for cross-disciplinary collaboration . The team was created with Montpelier in mind — primarily , to consider its many facets as a significant historic site , as a place of Constitutional convening , and an ecologically compelling site , etc ., and then provide a vision for balancing those elements and broadcasting an inclusive approach to the greater public . We were extremely excited to engage folks like Clemson wildlife professor J . Drew Lanham and Andrea Wulf , author of Founding Gardeners , toward this goal .
If you could ask James Madison why he did something a certain way , what would it be ?
TW : Two questions come to mind : one related to slavery at Montpelier and the other related to conservation . What exactly was the motivation for building the South Yard compound ? Was it to demonstrate a model of more acceptable accommodation for an institution the founding thinkers recognized as an abomination ? Was it an attempt at justification or a Potemkin village covering the realities of the more typical slave accommodations ?
The second question would be to know the specific influences leading to the preservation of the forest behind the House . Was it related to the pragmatics of soil stabilization and erosion control ? Was it aesthetic to protect the views from the main House ? Or was it perhaps the first notion of conservation of a natural resource in the U . S . before the interconnected web of nature was fully understood by science ? What , in fact , was his understanding of this complex natural system , beyond merely a resource for consumption as most colonial era farmers thought ?
Learn more about the Montpelier Design Congress at montpelier . org .
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