Object(-ive) History at Monticello

[@jefflawrentz1624]

I enjoyed listening to this very much. I’d love to hear a podcast on his younger brother Randolph Jefferson sometime. Susan Steins book “The Worlds of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello” is among my favorites.

[@rabczanska]

1834, it was bought by Uriah P. Levy, a commodore in the U.S. Navy, for $2,500, (~$81,513 in 2023) who admired Jefferson and spent his own money to preserve the property. His nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy took over the property in 1879; he also invested considerable money to restore and preserve it. In 1923, Monroe Levy sold it for $500,000 (~$6.96 million in 2023) to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (TJF), which operates it as a house museum and educational institution. Levy Sr. was the first Jewish Commodore of the Navy and stopped the practice of flogging. His great grandfather was Dr. Samuel Ribeiro Nunes, a fascinating man worth reading about. He was tortured and escaped the Portuguese inquisition and helped found savannah GA as a Jewish Dr.

[@kevinchambers1101]

From what I understand is that the foundation forced the Levy family to sell and then, after the sale, virtually wipe away any history of the Levy family. They deserve a lot of credit in saving the house.

[@tomlucia6143]

you never mention the camera obscura in his workspace