Experience Highland, the official residence of fifth President James Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, from 1799 to 1823. Join us for our guided tour, lasting approximately 40 minutes, as we explore the fascinating life of the tireless public servant who...

Born on April 28, 1758—in Westmoreland County, Virginia—James Monroe was the second of five children of Spence and Elizabeth Jones Monroe, “small” planters who raised tobacco on their farm of approximately 500 acres. Initially educated at Parson Campbell’s school in...

James Monroe’s story is only one aspect of Highland, which was home to a succession of white overseers and enslaved African Americans who built and ran the plantation. Like other southern plantation owners of his era, Monroe depended on, utilized,...