PRESIDENTIAL HOME TOURS OF VIRGINIA

I had the opportunity this summer to take a graduate class through

 "Freedom's Foundation at Valley Forge."

This is the 5th class through them.
Two were totally free and the other three,
I used Foundation money that I had donated to myself
(before they stopped letting you do that).

I have also had 2 free history trips with the

Teaching American History 

though the Alpine School District.

So, seven free/partial free history trips are just fine with me!!!

I love seeing the history of our country in person, plus...I love making friends all over the country!

On this trip, it was my second time to:
Charlottesville, Virginia
Monticello
University of Virginia
Mount Vernon
Stafford County, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
and my 4th time to Fredericksburg, Virginia
(I didn't count Washington, D.C., cuz the first time, I just sat in the airport!)

I love it more each time!

MONUMENTS AT MOONLIGHT

TROLLEY TOUR
(Analee & I flew out a day early and did this tour)

 U.S. Capitol

 Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial statue

 Washington Monument

 Jefferson Memorial

Washington Monument

Martin Luther King Memorial

 "Raising the Flag at Iwo Jima"

Love this statue!

 Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument

WOODROW WILSON'S HOME
Pentagon City
Washington D.C.

After he finished his terms as president...Woodrow Wilson's friends bought this house for him.

(He had no money to buy his own.)

Presidential pensions did not start until after Harry S Truman's presidency!

(Many of the homes I visited, you were not allowed to take pictures inside.)

 Kitchen Stove

 Check out these old labels!

 Autographed Babe Ruth Baseball

 Wilson's desk

Piano in the music room

Analee Wiser at the piano.  She taught 8 years in 5th grade at Alpine Elementary.

She was also in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

She currently teaches 5th grade at Forbes Elementary.

Bedroom

 Bathroom

Toilet...notice there is no tank.  

To flush the toilet, you pulled a chain.

This was in the early 1920s.

LINCOLN'S COTTAGE

Summer home of Abraham Lincoln

Washington D.C.

To escape the heat of the summer, Lincoln and his family lived in this cottage.

It was like "Camp David" is today.

Lincoln still traveled every day to the White House.

Many soldiers would sleep on the cottage lawn and were fed by the staff during the Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln with his horse.

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

Washington D.C.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S OFFICE

Winchester, Virginia

George Washington used the building here as a military office from

September 1755-December 1756

when he was 23 years old.

WOODROW WILSON'S BIRTHPLACE

Staunton, Virginia

(A cool side note.  My assistant history teacher in the district,

Dallas, was teaching school after he graduated from BYU.

After teaching about 3 years, his bishop gave him a blessing.

In the blessing, he was told he MUST go on a mission!

So, he quit teaching, and was called to a mission in Virginia.

It was here, in Staunton, Virginia, that he met his wife!)

"Pierce Arrow"

WOODROW WILSON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

Staunton, Virginia

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

Charlottesville, Virginia

Church at UVA

 Dorm room of author Edgar Allen Poe

"The Raven"

One of Poe's most famous poems.

University of Virginia

Not only was Thomas Jefferson the first  president of the university, he was also the

architect of the buildings!

The smartest students at the University lived in these

"prestigious" dorms.

MONTICELLO

Home of Thomas Jefferson

He was also the architect. 

Charlottesville, Virginia 

Grounds of Monticello

Burial site

ASH LAWN PLANTATION

Home of James Monroe

Charlottesville, Virginia

President Monroe's house

MONTPELIER

Home of James Madison
Orange, Virginia

(horse race track in front)

 Here I am with James and Dolley Madison!

This is Don Ward.  He is the father of Chris Ward, a former student of mine about 20 years ago.

He taught AP History at Alta High.

He is the one that got me on my first trip with Freedom's Foundation.

I knew it was legitimate, because I knew him.

Thanks for the opportunity to participate in 5 history trips!

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH

Richmond, Virginia

This is the church where 

Patrick Henry gave his famous speech...

". . . Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains or slavery?

Forbid it, Almighty God!

I know not what course that others may take...

But as for me, Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" 

Check out what pages the hymns are on!

JOHN MARSHALL HOME

Richmond, Virginia

John Marshall was appointed Supreme Court Justice in 1801 by

President John Adams.

BERKELEY PLANTATION

Home of President William Henry Harrison

Charles City, Virginia

SHERWOOD FOREST

Home of President John Tyler.

Charles City, Virginia

 John Tyler was the vice president to William Henry Harrison.

Harrison died after one month in office!

His plantation is just down the road from Harrison's.

Tyler's grandson currently lives in the home!
WHAT???

John Tyler was president in the 1840s.

He was born in  1790.  

He had 15 children by two different wives.

His second wife was dating Tyler's son when they met.

Tyler's 13th child was born in 1865 at the end of the Civil War when he was 75.

That son had a son born in 1928 (the year my dad was born) when he was 63.

AMAZING!

We've had 34 U.S. President's since John Tyler!

Some of our class in the guest house.

The white haired lady on the couch is Sister Georgia.

She is beginning her 55th year of teaching at a

Private Boys Catholic high school in Kentucky!

PATRICK HENRY'S HOME

Scotchtown, Virginia

KENMORE PLANTATION

Home of Betty Washington Lewis

George Washington's sister

Fredericksburg, Virginia 

(One of the few homes we could take pictures in)

FERRY FARM

Childhood home of George Washington...ages 6-22 ("Chopping down cherry tree")

Stafford County, Virginia

The original home does not stand...but they have excavated, and know the exact location and dimensions of the house.

The Excavation

GUNSTON HALL

Home of George Mason

Lorton, Virginia

 George Mason is known as 

"The Father of the United States Bill of Rights."

MOUNT VERNON

Home of George Washington

 Potomoc River

 The kitchen is located off the main house

 Washington's original tomb

Washington's current tomb

George Washington's remains are on the right.

Martha Washington's remains are on the left.

(Guarded 24/7)