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Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) sent a letter requesting that the National Park Service (NPS) conduct a reconnaissance survey to evaluate the suitability of designating Oak Hill, the home of President James Monroe located in Loudoun County, as a unit of the National Park System.

“Oak Hill has clear historic value to our nation, and we believe that the property would make an excellent and appropriate addition to the National Park System, especially with the quickly approaching semi-quincentennial celebration of our nation in 2026,” wrote Wexton, Warner, and Kaine.

The mansion at Oak Hill, located in Aldie, Virginia, was home to James Monroe during and after his presidency. The historic property, which in addition to being the former home of Monroe is also a site of important artifact discoveries of the Manahoac Native American people and even dinosaur bones, is currently privately owned. The mansion and outbuildings have been well preserved by the owners, who now wish for the property to come under federal management to share with the public the story of the former president and the craftspeople and enslaved African Americans who also lived there.

James Monroe was an influential founding father of America, whose long career of public service includes serving as a United States Senator from Virginia, the 12th and 16th Governor of Virginia, the U.S. Secretary of State under President James Madison, and the fifth President of the United States from 1817-1825. One of his most enduring achievements is the Monroe Doctrine, which continues to influence U.S. foreign policy.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

November 7, 2023 

The Honorable Charles F. Sams III 
Director 
National Park Service 
1849 C St NW 
Washington, DC 20240

Dear Director Sams: 

We respectfully request that the National Park Service (NPS) conduct a reconnaissance survey to explore the suitability of designating Oak Hill, the former home of President James Monroe located in Loudoun County, Virginia, as a unit of the National Park System. Oak Hill has great historical and educational significance, and NPS’s designation would help preserve the property for future generations. 

The Oak Hill mansion was constructed for President Monroe during the 1820s, but the property’s history stretches well beyond this era. The property is also home to dinosaur fossils dating back hundreds of millions of years to the early Jurassic Period as well as artifacts of the Manahoac people, a group of Native Americans who lived in northern Virginia. The mansion and outbuildings have been well preserved by Oak Hill’s successive owners and tell the story not just of the former president but also the craftspeople and enslaved African Americans who also lived there. Unlike the homes of other former presidents from this era, such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and James Madison’s Montpelier, Oak Hill is generally not open to the public. 

The current owners of Oak Hill are the DeLashmutt family, four generations of whom have lived at Oak Hill for the past 75 years. They have done a wonderful job of preserving the historic property, but they have recently come to a decision to end their stewardship of it and are seeking to ensure its perpetual preservation and to open its doors to the public by establishing it as a unit of the National Park System. 

Oak Hill has clear historic value to our nation, and we believe that the property would make an excellent and appropriate addition to the National Park System, especially with the quickly approaching semi-quincentennial celebration of our nation in 2026. We greatly appreciate your consideration of our request to conduct a reconnaissance survey of the site and look forward to your timely response. 

Sincerely,

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