History of the Mount Pleasant Site

Mount Pleasant is the original home of the Madison family and the childhood home of James Madison, Jr. Archaeologists have focused their attention on uncovering the remains of this site as very little documentation exists detailing the layout or extent of the plantation complex. From historic documents we do know that in the spring of 1732, James Madison, Jr.'s, grandparents (Ambrose and Frances Madison) and their three children (including James Madison, Sr., father of the president) moved to Mount Pleasant. By early fall of that year, Ambrose Madison was poisoned by a neighboring slave and two of his own slaves, leaving his wife (Frances Taylor Madison) to raise the children and run the plantation. From Ambrose Madison's will we know that Frances took tenure of his plantation, composed of 29 enslaved Africans and close to 4,000 acres.  For the remainder of her life, Frances remained unmarried and was very successful in operating the family plantation. The few records for Frances' tenure of the property suggest that she grew tobacco and produced food crops.

The President's father, James Madison, Sr., expanded the economic base of the plantation to include some merchant activities and, later, building services and blacksmithing starting in the 1740s. The future president, James, Jr., grew up during this era of expansion. When he was 10 or 12, the family moved into the newly completed core of the present-day mansion of Montpelier.

Following the abandonment of Mount Pleasant by the Madison family, it fell into disuse. During the late 18th century, only the kitchen continued to exist and by the early 19th century the family cemetery was the only vestige of the family home. Maps from the 1840s show an overseer's house near the cemetery. From archaeology conducted in the fields adjacent to Mount Pleasant, we know that this overseer's house was part of a large work and living complex for field slaves.

James Madison, Sr., father of President Madison James Sr., known as Colonel Madison for his role with the Orange County militia, lived in Mount Pleasant from the age of 9 years. (Photo: Courtesy of Belle Grove.)	Nelly Conway Madison, mother of President Madison Nelly Madison arrived at Mount Pleasant in 1749 following her marriage to James, Sr. She shared the family home with Frances Madison (grandmother to the president) until 1761 when her mother-in-law passed away, after which she moved to the newly completed Montpelier Mansion. (Photo: Courtesy of Belle Grove.)