Montpelier Station in Orange County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Home Farm Complex
Overseer's House
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, March 28, 2026
1. Home Farm Complex Marker
The Madisons' expansive landholdings in Orange county encompassed several farms, including Sawney's Tract, the Mill Quarter, and Black Meadow. It was not only on those outlying farms that crops were grown, however. The area where you are standing was the primary location of agricultural activity at Montpelier - the Home Farm. Within its 70 acres were fields of crops, livestock pastures, barns for tobacco and wheat, housing for enslaved field workers, a mill, a blacksmith's shop, and an overseer's house. Montpelier was not simply a picturesque estate for a retired President. It was an ongoing agricultural enterprise, and much of its activity was centered on the Home Farm.
"By and bye, the Horses were brought, and we set out on a tour to visit the different parts of the Estate where farming operations were going on."
James K. Paulding, account of visiting Montpelier in 1818
[Captions:]
An 1844 map locates the Overseer's House between the main house and the Madison mill. The mill site is down the hill to your right. Archaeological surveys revealed a well and a concentration of artifacts in the area in front of this sign, indicating that we had found the overseer's home.
Conjectural model of the Home Farm complex. The Overseer's House was
this page online
What is happening here now: Archaeologists are exploring this area to locate the Overseer's House. The excavation units in front of you are used to recover ceramics, glass, and nails that were left behind when the home was abandoned in the 1840s following the sale of Montpelier by Dolley Madison.
Erected by James Madisons Montpelier.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Anthropology & Archaeology. A significant historical year for this entry is 1818.
Location. 38° 13.008′ N, 78° 10.392′ W. Marker is in Montpelier Station, Virginia, in Orange County. It can be reached from Constitution Highway (Virginia Route 20) when traveling south. The marker stands on the grounds of James Madison's Montpelier, on the Montpelier-Grelen walking trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11350 Constitution Highway, Montpelier Station VA 22957, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Virginia and in the Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mount Pleasant (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Madison's Farm Complex (about 700
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, March 28, 2026
2. Home Farm Complex Marker
There is no archaeology ongoing in this location. The efforts the marker describes have apparently been completed, as no archaeological equipment nor covered digs are present in the vicinity while a third cabin stands in the background.
Other markers no longer nearby. Mount Pleasant c. 1750s (was about 400 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Madison Family Cemetery (was about 600 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The African American Cemetery (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Slave Cemetery (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Madison Farm Complex (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Quarters (was approx. Ό mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Homes for Enslaved Families (was approx. Ό mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Backyard (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named The Garden (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Road (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Blacksmith Shop (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on April 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 23, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 23, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
