Montpelier's Big Reveal, Finally

After five years and millions of dollars, U.S. president James Madison’s house has finally been restored. This Virginia home is where Madison, father of the Constitution, spent most of his youth. This residence will reopen September 17. What makes it particularly unique is that so many restorations honor Jefferson or Washington, but not Madison. Historians have made painstaking efforts to recreate the house that our fourth president knew. “It’s been a mountaintop experience to witness the revelations as the house gives up its secrets,” says Mark Wenger, an architect formerly on the staff of Colonial Williamsburg now working with the restoration firm.