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Madison tried to eat an early breakfast with his family at Montpelier on June 28, 1836, when food lodged in his throat. One of his nieces grew concerned. Madison reassured her: “Nothing more than a change of mind, my dear.” He then slumped over and died. He was laid to rest on June 29 in the family plot at Montpelier, an Episcopal priest committing his body to the earth. The funeral was attended by family, friends, and neighbors. More than one hundred slaves looked on as the “Father of the Constitution” was buried.

After James Madison’s death, his widow returned to Washington, where she lived out the rest of her years. She is buried next to her husband at Montpelier.

Touring James Madison’s Tomb at Montpelier

From points north: Take Route 66 West to Route 29 South. At Culpeper, take Route 15 South. Continue on Route 15 to Orange. At Orange, take Route 20 South. Montpelier is located on Route 20 just four miles from the town of Orange.

From points south: Take Interstate 95 North to Route 64 West. From Route 64, take Route 15 North. At Orange, take Route 20 South. Montpelier is located on Route 20 just four miles from the town of Orange.

The Madison Family Cemetery is accessible via the Montpelier parking lot. Follow the marked path to the cemetery.

Montpelier is open daily except on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April through October and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from November through March.

Admission to Montpelier is $14.00 for adults and $7.00 for children ages six to fourteen. Admission for children under six is free.

Note: You can no longer visit the cemetery without taking an official tour. The cemetery gates are only open to tour groups during visitor’s hours.

For additional information

Montpelier

11407 Constitution Highway

Montpelier Station, VA 22957

Phone: (540) 672-2728

www.montpelier.org

“…Madison cherished hopes of freeing his slaves upon his death.”

—Richard Norton Smith

“Take care of me when dead,” Thomas Jefferson wrote James Madison, in February 1826, “and be assured that I shall leave with you my last affections.” Faithful as ever, Madison succeeded his old friend as rector of the infant University of Virginia. Condemning southern nullifiers, he organized his voluminous notes on the Constitutional Convention for posthumous publication and cherished hopes of freeing his slaves upon his death. Madison was forced to abandon these plans as Montpelier sank into debt; idealism fell victim to the plantation economy (in his will, he did make modest provision for the American Colonization Society and its agenda of returning America’s slaves to their African roots.)

The day after his death, the former president was buried in the Madison family plot half a mile south of his mansion. His much loved wife, Dolley, lived on in the nation’s capital until 1849, sending the second telegraph (after Samuel Morse’s immortal “What hath God wrought?”) and being voted an unprecedented honorary seat in the House of Representatives. Her funeral was the largest Washington had ever seen, attended by, among others, “The Presidential Cabinet, The Diplomatic Corps, Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives…and their officers; Judges of the Supreme Court and Courts of the District and their officers; Officers of the Army and Navy; the Mayor and Corporation of Washington”—and a vast assembly of “Citizens and Strangers” come to pay respects to one of America’s great women.

Originally laid to rest in the Congressional Cemetery on Capitol Hill, Dolley was not reunited with her husband until 1858. Today they sleep in the rolling horse country of Orange County.

—RNS

James Monroe

Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia

Fifth President - 1817-1825

Born: April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia

Died: 3:15 p.m. on July 4, 1831, in New York, New York

Age at death: 73

Cause of death: Heart failure

Final words: