geeky
The museum includes a display of dresses worn by first lady Elizabeth Monroe. Outside there is a memorial garden to James Monroe, which features a bust of him sculpted by Margaret French Cresson. I haven't yet had the privilege of visiting this museum, but I plan to someday, because Monroe is included in my personal list of favorite presidents.
Here is more information about the museum:
Website: http://jamesmonroemuseum.umw.edu/
Location: 908 Charles Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Hours of Operation: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The museum is closed on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-Monroe-Museum-and-Memorial-Library/177543148635
Twitter: @JMonroeMuseum
I visited this facility in April of 2017. Behind the cut are some of my recollections of that visit and some of the pictures I took while I was there.
Monroe is one of my favorite presidents even though he is probably less known than he deserves to be and underrated as a President. He is considered to be "the last founding father." There is much to admire about his life. Orphaned at age 16 and left to care for 3 younger siblings, he joined the Revolutionary War at age 16 and fought in George Washington's army in about four battles. He was wounded at the Battle of Trenton when a musket ball severed an artery, but had happened to meet a surgeon on the way to the battle, and as luck would have it, the surgeon knew how to stop the artery from bleeding out, saving his life. Monroe went on to have a remarkable career, becoming an ambassador to France (where he saved the Marquis de Lafayette's wife from the guillotine) and England, a congressman, senator and three term governor of Virginia, Secretary of War during the War of 1812, Secretary of State, and a two term president. As president he tried to promote harmony by touring the nation, including the areas where he was least popular, and trying to ignore the notion of political parties. It was called the Era of Good Feelings. He even tried to right some of the wrongs of slavery by using his own money as part of a program to purchase slaves and return then to their home. The African nation of Liberia even named their capital city after him (Monrovia). Yes, he wasn't as progressive as the abolitionists like John Adams, but at least he had some recognition of this terrible wrong that was a part of his nation. Monroe must have been an honest man because he died broke, of all days, on the fourth of July.
Here are a few pictures from his museum. It's a small one storey building (formerly three smaller buildings that were joined together), run by volunteers history buffs. When I was there the volunteers were very excited because that weekend they celebrated Monroe's birthday and even hired a James Monroe impersonator.
1. This is the building that used to be Monroe's law office and is now his museum.
2-3. Monroe was quite a good looking man. He was tall and athletic, with dimple in his chin that resembled a young Kirk Douglas. He aged well too.
4. Monroe was quite a spiffy dresser. He stuck to the old style Revolutionary War style of dress (knee breeches and long stockings) even after it went out of style. This year is the 200th anniversary of his Presidency (which began on March 4, 1817), so the museum decided to unpack some of his and his wife's clothing that they had stored, to put on display.
5. A statue of Monroe he diplomat in Paris that I thought was pretty cool.
For those of you who happen to be in the area of Fredericksburg, Virginia, a visit to the Monroe Museum is time well spent.