The Why
Inspiring the questions, providing the answers.
Digging Deeper
Behind the Scenes at James Madison's Montpelier
The Dogs of Montpelier
Understanding overlooked buildings, and the dogs that called Montpelier home.
Filling out the South Passage
How did the curators know which paintings to hang?
Parroting Historical Research
Visitors’ accounts of Polly the parrot describe a bird who was both beautiful and bad-tempered.
A Missing Link Letter
The Montpelier Research Database has a place for missing letters … and sometimes the missing letters turn up.
From Family Memories to Historical Record
The ongoing task of preserving the duPont Family Scrapbooks.
Where Have All the Papers Gone?
Follow the paper trail as documents make their way to the archive, the auction house, or the incinerator.
Polly the Parrot
Using primary accounts of Polly the Parrot, we have installed our very own macaw in the house.