James Madison
James Madison
Birthplace
Birthplace: Belle Grove, North of Port Royal on US Route 301, Port Conway, VA (Marker)
Visited: 10/16/10
Log Excerpt: "Went about ½ hour to Port Royal and after checking the wrong side of the Rappahannock River (but seeing a house where the injured J. W. Booth was turned away from) found the birth marker for James Madison on the other side in Port Conway."
Home
Home: Montpelier, 11407 Constitution Highway, Montpelier, VA
Visited: 10/15/10
Log Excerpt: "... up to Montpelier [NHL] in Orange. We saw a good film in the VC, then walked over to the house. This Georgian home started by James Madison Sr. had been tripled in size and covered over by the Du Ponts, but was in the 2000s beautifully restored to as it was in James Madison’s and Dolley’s time. This included the original brick face (which had been made on site), removing plumbing and electric, hand-printed wallpaper, period furniture (with a few JM pieces), paintings, etc. Great tour with lots of information on the Madisons, like one fun fact: he was offered stimulants so he could die on July 4th like the other presidents before him, but he refused."
White House
Home: White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC
Visited: 8/1968, 10/16/2022 etc. Photo 10/16/2022
White House Residence: 1809-1817 (After 8/24/1814, 6 months in Octagon House, then Seven Buildings)
Home
Home: Octagon House, 1799 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC
Visited: 11/8/2008
Log Excerpt: "Walked back to the car and drove a short way to the Octagon House [NHL], an old unique structure (and temporary home of President Madison) with eight sides."
Home
Home: Seven Buildings, 1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC
Visited: 10/16/2022
Log Excerpt: "Constructed in 1796, they were some of the earliest residential structures built in the city. One of the Seven Buildings was the presidential home of James Madison and his wife, Dolley, after the burning of the White House in 1814, and later (as we also newly discovered) the residence of Martin Van Buren shortly before and after his inauguration as president. Signer Elbridge Gerry lived in it while he was vice president from 1813 till his death in 1814. The political practice of gerrymandering is named after him. The facades of two buildings were incorporated (very neatly, we thought) into the Embassy of Mexico in 1986."
Home
Home: 429 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA
Visited: 10/18/13
Log Excerpt: "Our last stop was the home of James Madison we located earlier. We had some skepticism based on the quick Google, but luckily there was a plaque by the door – yay, a bonus President to finish the trip. This is one more of many similar homes we’ve seen in the area – fairly narrow, multiple-story with a single front dormer in the roof."
Gravesite
Gravesite: Montpelier, 11407 Constitution Highway, Montpelier, VA
Visited: 10/15/10
Log Excerpt: "After house photo-ops, we walked over to the family graveyard on the original farmhouse site, JM’s monument being a simple obelisk and Dolley’s a smaller one."