Forest: Discover History and Architecture

Discover Forest through two distinct historical stories: Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest traces the history of a house from its construction through its restoration and interpretation; New London Academy combines an 18th-century founding with a 19th-century building. Those interested in history and architecture will encounter a range of questions here: How did a building come to be? How is a historic site developed over time, and what stories belong to an institution?

Poplar Forest: Building History and Remembrance

Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. Construction began in 1806 and was completed by the time of Thomas Jefferson’s death in 1826. These dates place the beginning and completion in relation to one another; the designation as a National Historic Landmark came much later. The building’s creation and its later recognition can therefore be viewed as two distinct chapters in its history.

Since 1983, the Corporation for Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest has been developing the historic site and house museum through a program of restoration and research. Visits share stories about Jefferson’s family, as well as about the free and enslaved craftspeople who built the structure and the enslaved people who lived and worked on the plantation. The story thus extends beyond the building’s chronology. The craftspeople’s role in the construction and the lives and labor of enslaved people on the plantation are distinct aspects of the site’s history.

New London Academy: Founding and Architecture

New London Academy was founded in 1795. It is the only public secondary school in Virginia operating under a charter from the General Assembly. Its oldest building was constructed later, between 1837 and 1839, in the Greek Revival style. Comparing the dates makes clear the time that elapsed between the Academy’s founding and the construction of this building. The Greek Revival style also places the structure in an architectural context and adds a specific building phase to the institution’s history.

The use of another building is also part of the Academy’s history: an original kitchen outbuilding on its grounds is used as a museum about the school’s history. Several perspectives therefore come together: the 1795 founding, the Academy’s distinctive institutional status, the older Greek Revival-style building, and the museum use of the original kitchen building. These tell different stories, connecting the history of education and architecture at New London Academy.

Two Historic Highlights for Your Stay

The two sites emphasize different aspects: Poplar Forest brings together building history, restoration, and research with interpretation of the histories of the family, craftspeople, and plantation. At New London Academy, the focus is on the founding of a school, its distinctive status in Virginia, and the building history on its grounds. If you choose Forest for a history-focused stay, these subjects may help shape your choice of a vacation rental in Forest. Consider whether you are especially interested in a house museum and the layered history of a plantation, or in the development of a school and its architecture. This turns a general interest in history into a more specific question to help you plan your stay.

Discover more destinations: Moneta, Bedford, Montvale, Goode.

Back to the main travel guide: Bedford County.