Charlottesville, VA November 2008

My "stolen" bust of Thomas Jefferson (not really)

When it comes to Charlottesville, it really would be more than enough to let this fellow say it all. The city and surrounding area is infused with the legacy of our nation's third President, Thomas Jefferson. There are the obvious sites, such as his splendid Rotunda and other components of the Academical Village at the heart of the institution of learning he founded, the University of Virginia, and his home, Monticello. Then there are the lesser known manifestations of his influence, such as the area's burgeoning wine industry and an inherent love for books and learning among modern day residents.

On my most recent trip, I learned about even more obscure ways that Jefferson still influences life and even economic development here, such as how great care was taken by State Farm Insurance when it constructed its massive regional headquarters. Company officials worked with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation to create the building and landscaping in a way that would minimize the impact on the view looking down from Jefferson's home. Today, they're even piloting a green roof project that, depending on its success, might serve as a model for locations nationwide.

After having the extremely rare opportunity to tour and shoot video at Monticello one morning before it opened to the public (thank you thank you thank you to Jay Crawford at the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce for setting this up, and to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and Liesel Nowak for accommodating the request) I then toured the aforementioned State Farm offices, where approximately 1,500 Charlottesville area residents report to work each day. After interviewing Vice President - Agency Bill Whitney and talking with Public Affairs Specialist Danny Sheppard, I learned many more ways State Farm and its employees are doing positive things within the community. And yes, I even got to go up and see the green roof area. True, it's a test and only a test, as they say, but it is an idea that certainly could grow - pun intended.

Between Monticello and State Farm we had a few moments to spare, so we popped into The General Store at Michie Tavern, a restaurant that dates back to 1784. With no time to dine that particular day, I instead picked up some Tavern Chicken Breader mix used to create the restaurant's signature Colonial Fried Chicken. And out of respect for Mr. Jefferson, I also picked up the small bust that you see at the top of this post. I tried to pass it off to co-workers as a priceless artifact that I had stolen, but I think a combination of my inability to bluff, the statue's resin composition and small size, and last, the perceived unlikelihood of my doing something so ridiculous gave me away on that one. At least I hope no one thinks I would actually do such a thing.

Rest assured, the real sculptures throughout Monticello were something to behold in person ... and much too large and heavy to fit into my purse. The collection at Monticello includes one of the six early plasters of the Jefferson bust created by Jean-Antoine Houdon (upon which my little souvenir is based). Go visit if you ever have the chance; they've recently added a new visitor and education center!

Despite Thomas Jefferson popping up at nearly every turn, there actually are many, many other cool things about Charlottesville, and you can find them at our site, www.imagescharlottesville.com. New content from the new magazine will be up in upcoming months, and be on the lookout for the new Monticello and State Farm videos even sooner.