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iii. MONTICELLO AND THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (Virginia) was the

home of former president and writer of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas

Jefferson. The site meets three of UNESCO’s criteria, two of which are the same as

the Statue of Liberty, and the third which is specifically remarked for the architecture

and landscape. UNESCO’s overview is below:

“Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), author of the American Declaration of

Independence and third president of the United States, was also a talented architect of

neoclassical buildings. He designed Monticello (1769–1809), his plantation home, and

his ideal 'academical village' (1817–26), which is still the heart of the University of

Virginia. Jefferson's use of an architectural vocabulary based upon classical antiquity

symbolizes both the aspirations of the new American republic as the inheritor of

European tradition and the cultural experimentation that could be expected as the

country matured.”

With both architectural value and a representation of the values of a specific point

in history, the site is notable for both the Unites States but also to the world as it

demonstrates a new country with many borrowed styles and elements from Europe and

across the globe. It was added to the list of cultural sites in the United States in 1987.

All three sites discussed highlight various importance’s to the world. Independence Hall is

primarily considered heritage due to the documents that were signed within and the ideology that

was created. The Statue of Liberty holds value both due to its structure and the symbolism to a

specific time in history and even today as people immigrate to the United States. Monticello and

the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, aside from its structural qualities, is simply a

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