Greenspace grows around Monticello: Foundation buys nearly 29 acres

By Sharon C. Fitzgerald Daily Progress correspondent
Published: August 21, 2008

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and operates Monticello, has purchased almost 29 acres to preserve and expand trails near Kemper Park.

The newly acquired land, known has the Hartman tract, connects the 89-acre Kemper Park to the Secluded Farm along the Thomas Jefferson Parkway. The wooded area has pathways that can be used to get from one area of the parkway to the other, said Jason Stevens, Thomas Jefferson Parkway manager.

The foundation bought the land from the Hartman Family Corp. for $500,000.

“It was important for us to get this land for preservation,” Stevens said. “If this land was developed it would be an eyesore. There is nothing wrong with development, but our goal is to preserve as much of the area around Monticello as possible.”

Future plans for the land will include expanding the rustic trail systems and linking different parts of the property together, Stevens said.

Hikers such as Laurie Stewart of Charlottesville have been using the paths in the Hartman tract as part of regular walks. Stewart said she didn’t realize the area wasn’t already part of the parkway.

Stewart hikes the land several times a week and has been a frequent guest to the park since 2000. She started hiking the trails inside the Hartman tract two years ago.

“I like the seclusion and it’s straight uphill for the first 22 minutes of my hike,” Stewart said. “[Hiking] is the time I pray. So to be alone and outdoors is wonderful.”

Parkway officials have been maintaining the trails through the Hartman tract for a few years because they knew hikers were using them, Stevens said. Maintenance included making sure the trails were cleared of debris, which required two to four hours a year, he said.

“We were being nice neighbors,” Stevens said.

The Thomas Jefferson Parkway is a 266-acre private park near the entrance of Monticello. The park, which is free and open to the public throughout the year, is the most popular park in Central Virginia, Stevens said.

Funding for the parkway comes from ticket sales to Monticello and private donations.

This year, more than 62,000 people have walked the trails in the parkway, Stevens said.