Highland

James Monroe, fifth president of the U.S., owned property here from 1793 to 1828. The plantation was home to Monroe, his wife and family, and generations of enslaved African Americans. Prior to his presidency (1817-1825), Monroe served as governor of Virginia, U.S. minister to France and Great Britain, U.S. senator, and secretary of state and of war. The property’s principal residence, which burned shortly after Monroe sold it, was rediscovered in research announced in 2016. Still standing are the 1818 Presidential Guesthouse and original outbuildings. Called Ash Lawn by subsequent owners, Highland was willed to Monroe’s alma mater, William & Mary, on the last private owner’s death in 1974.

Department of Historic Resources, 2022