GPS City GuideCharlottesvilleThomas Jefferson

Stop 18 of 23 · Charlottesville audio walking tour

Thomas Jefferson

University of Virginia · 1910 · Jefferson's Statue Dedicated

What you'll hear here: about a minute of narration about Thomas Jefferson, and how it fits University of Virginia, written to be listened to on the spot rather than read at home.

Look toward the statue of Thomas Jefferson, in front of the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. This version was crafted by Moses Ezekiel in 1910 and is a copy of the Jefferson Monument in Louisville, Kentucky. Ezekiel designed the work in 1897 and it was cast in 1898; the campus dedication came on June 15, 1910.

The bronze portrays Jefferson standing atop a replicate of the Liberty Bell, ringed by four winged allegorical figures: at the front is Liberty, at the back Justice, on Jefferson’s proper right Human Freedom, and on his proper left Religious Freedom. Notice how Religious Freedom holds a tablet, and Jefferson himself holds a scroll meant to represent the United States Declaration of Independence. This sculpture has not been untouched by modern controversies: in August 2017 it was the target of graffiti vandalism, and in September 2017 it became the focus of protest amid the Charlottesville historic monument controversy and the 2017 Unite the Right rally.

Your attention can move between the figure of Jefferson, the ring of allegories, and the imposing Rotunda that frames the scene.

Where it is

Coordinates
38.03606, -78.50318
Area
University of Virginia
Era
1910 · Jefferson's Statue Dedicated
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Three stops free. No account needed. The audio plays itself as you walk.