REPORTS RECEIVED FROM STATES- PR REPORTS

This chairman has received reports, several with photos and newspaper publicity from the following states organizations (Listed in Alphabetical Order)

Alabama: Alabama Charter Chapter: James Madison's Montpelier and Battle of New Orleans and from General Patrick Mays Chapter: Fort McHenry. From Alabama Charter Chapter Photo of Library Display being placed in Libraries. Photo is of Library Display placed in Lewis Cooper Jr. Library Opelika, Alabama

ALABAMA THIRD PLACE WINNER LIBRARY DISPLAY

ALASKA Report from State President Michelle Thorton

ARKANSAS Report from Mary Reid Warner included several newspaper articles, one of which commended Arkansas Daughters of 1812 for promoting patriotism.

District of Columbia: Written report from Chairman Adele Bowyer.

FLORIDA Lt. William Shannon Chapter provides good coverage of activities engaged in by this chapter including an impressive slide show of massing of the colors at Brevard College. Report received from Marianne Mabie, Spanish Trails Chapter (Pensacola). This chapter had programs on the Key Role of Pensacola and Mobile played by these Coastal forts during the War of 1812. Also received a report from Gay Harlowe, President of the Benjamin DeVane Chapter reporting on a program given by Col. Harold Youmans, the editor of the Journal of the War of 1812. Col. Youmans has amassed an impressive collection of materials relating to the War of 1812. The Benjamin De Vane Chapter maintains an attractive and well designed chapter web site with information on meetings, ancestors and chapter history which is helped by photos of activities and of history of Benjamin De Vane, the War of 1812 soldier for whom this chapter is named.

Georgia Report from Echo H. Burrell, Major Phillip Cook Chapter, on Fort Hawkins which was built in 1806 near present-day Macon, Georgia and was as a supply base for the army in the War of 1812. Mrs. Burrell's great great great-great grandfather, Jonathan Halsted served as the Factor of Fort Hawkins from 1809 to the time of his death in 1814. During the War of 1812 Fort Hawkins was the principal depository for army supplies and the distribution point for rations for troops. In October of 1814, 2,500 militia were organized and equipped at the fort to join General Jackson at Mobile. In 1938 with help from the Works Progress Administration, the Nathanial Macon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a replica of one of the two original blockhouses at Fort Hawkins. Fort Hawkins was named for Benjamin Hawkins whose biography is included under Biography on this web site. For more information regarding Fort Hawkins Visit the web site maintained by the Ft. Hawkins Commission. Mrs. Burrell wrote an article on Fort Hawkins which was published in the February, 2008 issue of our U.S.D. of the War of 1812 Newsletter.

Report from the Georgia State President: Susan Lemesis. Georgia has been actively engaged in marking the graves of 1812 patriots and Georgia chapters have had programs on the Battle of New Orleans, Fort Niagara, St. Michael's, Jean LaFitte (a favorite of this chairman) and Music of the 1812 Era.

ILLINOIS: Report from State Public Relations Chairman Kathleen E. Haas. Good report with a lot of information. The Sangamon River Chapter marked the grave of John Winan Clark at the Laenna Cemetery in Chestnut, Illinois on 13 June 2009 and the grave of Joseph McAdams at the Old Campground Cemetery at Greenville, Illinois on 31st. October 2009, the John Kinzie Chapter and the Illinois Society participated at the dedication of Fort Dearborn Park in Chicago, Illinois (see Dearborn Massacre, also referred to as the "Battle" of Dearborn. A detailed account of Dearborn Massacre can be found on this web site after Dartmoor under War of 1812 History. For additional information about Fort Dearborn see the Feb 2010 U.S.D of 1812 Newsletter. This report includes excellent color photos.

INDIANA Report from Edith Key, State of Indiana Historian. Her report included dedication of Beck's Mill which was defended by settlers when it was attacked by Indians during the War of 1812 . Edith Key is the co-host of a radio program on WBRO 89.9 FM, "the Golden Age Hour." Topics discussed: Battle of New Orleans, Lucy Brewer who took the name George Baker and posing as a man served on Old Ironsides during the War of 1812. Information related to grave markings

MICHIGAN Report from Helene Werner, State President. General Alexander MaComb Chapter, 7 Jan 2010, Monroe County News: Donation of a gift from President Obama and legislative items related to the passage of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Act which authorized the creation of America's newest national park. New article reporting January 2010 197th. Commemoration of the Battle of the Raisin

BATTLEFIELD COMMEMORATION
! The Battlefield commemoration was very
successful this year in drawing a large number
of re-enactors not only from Michigan and
northwest Ohio, but from as far away as
Indiana, Ontario, and southern Ohio. The
mix of local groups and re-enactors seemed to
enjoy the tactical and outdoor ceremonies,
which were given added meaning in memory
of former battlefield interpreter Pat Griem.
! Special guests at this years commemoration
were the Michigan Society of the Daughters
of 1812. The Museum received a letter of
thanks, reprinted on page 4 of this newsletter.
! Compagnie Lacroix came out in force, with
one of our best turnouts for any event, and
our ranks were swelled further with short term
volunteers. The facilities were somewhat
overwhelmed, but museum staff & FRRB
volunteers did wonders in keeping things
rolling. Our food committee in particular was
able to feed a huge influx of last-minute
participants and got very good compliments
on the menu.
! The speaker program at the Historical
Museum was also very well attended, with
Mike Pratt talking about the River Raisin and
Gerry Wykes on battles in Brownstown.
! By next year, the battlefield may be under
NPS control, which may make the event even
more of a challenge for the FRRB to put on.

CITY OF MONROE CEREMONIES
" Several FRRB members rang in the
New Year by attending the swearing-in
ceremony for Monroe’s new mayor
and city council members on Monday,
January 4. They were invited as guests
of council member Mary Connor.
The Roberts’ and Micka’s came in
period garb, while the Howard’s,
Mentel’s, Grassley, Taylor, Naveaux
and others appeared in relatively
modern costume.
" Most were back at Monroe city hall
at high noon on the following
Thursday, along with Museum staff,
Historical Commissioners, Society of
the War of 1812, and other groups
and historically interested individuals.
State, city, and county officials were
also on hand to witness there
presentation by Congressman Dingell
and Senator Levin of the presidential
signing pen and documents for the
legislation creating the River Raisin
Battlefield National Park, which they
placed in the care of Mayor Robert
Clark and Society President William
Braunlich. State Senator Randy
R i c h a r d v i l l e , S t a t e H o u s e
Representative Kate Ebli, and 4
former Monroe mayors were present,
as wel l . Many of the vi s i t ing
digni taries received a copy of
“Invaded on All Sides,” by Ralph
Naveaux, as a souvenir of the
occasion. Besides giving a good pat on
the back to all those who have
supported the battlefield project over
the years, the main message was that
despite all the great progress that has
been made to date, there still remains
much work to be done.
BATTLEFIELD BOUNDARIES
" The bounda r i e s have been
proposed for the River Raisin
Battlefield National Park.

For more information SEE

Minnesota: The Minnesota State Society President reported on a program it did in October on 1812 burials at the Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery. See Best Web Sites List*

MISSISSIPPI:Report from Sarah Few Hallum, PR Chairman. Solomon Magee Chapter had a program on the Creek War (War of 1812) presented by Clay Williams of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and author of Battle for the Southern Frontier.

New York Report of Chairman Mary Raye Casper BEST NARRATIVE REPORT

REPORT OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIRMAN

 

1. Name of Chairman filling this report:   Mary Raye Casper

. Names of 1812 chapters in the State of New York
    Major George Armistead           New York City
    Niagara Frontier                         Onondaga
    Southern Tier                              Whitney-Hungerford

6. Names of 1812 chapters which sent you reports
    Onondaga        New York City         Southern Tier

7. Names of 1812 chapters which have sent you newspaper clippings about 1812 activities.
   
Onondaga  - 4 (Program from the 105th Annual Heritage Luncheon, Feb. 24, 2009 Syracuse,
NY, listing the Daughters of 1812, and program from the May 21, 2009 USMA Department of   
Social Sciences Graduation Awards Ceremony, West Point, NY – Presentation of the U.S.D. of
1812 Award for Excellence in International Relations.  Clipping from the June 3-9 EAGLE
OBSERVER for the Col. Bigelow Lawrence grave marking. A copy of the newspaper’s photo of
our State of NY Society President at the grave marking was then in turn received from State
Senator John A. DeFrancisco with his compliments.)

New York City  - 3 (Mentioned in 3 independent publications/programs plus an internet blog.)

Southern Tier – 1 (Clipping from the CORNING LEADER regarding the 114th State Council.)

8. Did any chapter in your state copy the Publicity Information Circular featured on the
National Web Site? If so, how many copies did they place in places where they would be
accessible to the public such as libraries and schools.

YES

Onondaga -15 copies for the Onondaga County Library, Syracuse, NY
                    10 copies for the 106th Annual Heritage Luncheon recruitment/display table.

9. Did any of the chapters in your state make use of Spot announcements for patriotic
observances. If so, which chapters and what did they do?
NO

10. Did any of the chapters in your state take part in grave markings and/or commemorate
observances at any historical sites? If so which? Please list and describe these.

Onondaga – Two chapter members took part in a DAR grave marking for Colonel Bigelow Lawrence at the Old Marcellus City Cemetery, Marcellus, NY.  Bigelow Lawrence served in both the Revolutionary War and also the War of 1812.  The State of NY Society’s “Star Spangled Banner” flag was displayed at the gravesite for the ceremony in recognition of Col. Lawrence’s service in the War of 1812.

New York City – During 2009, the NYC Chapter completed a multi-year project led by Chairman Emily Malloy to repair the gravesite of Governor Daniel D. Tompkins at St. Mark’s Church-in-the Bowery.  Chairman Malloy successfully raised the needed funds, and the Chapter was able to replace the broken Daughters of 1812 marker on Governor Tompkins’ gravestone and install an additional bronze plaque containing the gravestone inscription.  The gravestone was also cleaned.

The Tompkins Commemoration was attended by upwards of 50 people, including numerous freemasons who, along with NYS Daughters, contributed generously to the project.  The Chapter received a Citation from NYC Major Bloomberg, and speakers at the Commemoration Service included State of NY Society President Mary Raye Casper, NYC Historian Barnett Shepard, Associate Pastor of St. Mark’s Church Michael Relyea, NYC Commissioner of Archives Brain Andersson, and Scottish Rite and freemasonry representatives.  The service was preceded by a breakfast reception for all attendees.

One of the members of the Scottish Rite who was instrumental in obtaining a gift from the Rite for this project works for Queens Public Television.  He filmed the ceremony with plans to release it for public television.  As of this writing, a DVD has not yet been made available.  He also wrote about this project on his blog, “Have Pen, Will Write”, and he mentions the Daughters of 1812.  A copy of the blog is enclosed.  The service was also reported in the St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund newsletter, a copy of which is enclosed.

Whitney-Hungerford – The gravesite of one of the Chapter’s namesakes was marked on July 6, 2009– Corporal Erastus Whitney.  The ceremony was covered by Channel 10 News. (Copy of TV information enclosed.) Whitney served in the 55th. New York militia from 1813-1814
The Whitney-Hungerford Chapter is named in honor of:Erastus Whitney and Oliver Hungerford, two local men.

Mr. Whitney was a farmer, from Henderson, and was one of the 140 men who took part in the carrying of a five ton 600 foot long cable to outfit a ship in Sackets Harbor.  This was a turning point in the Battle of Big Sandy, in the War of 1812.  Whitney served with the 55th regiment of the NY Militia.

Oliver Hungerford, a Watertown businessman and Congressman, helped provide supplies for soldiers and sailors, during the War of 1812.  Later he served as a quartermaster in the 12th Infantry Division, and later became involved in banking, and was a railroad pioneer.

11. Did chapters in your state have programs on any aspect of the War of 1812. If so, which?
All chapters are urged to have at least one program on the War of 1812.

State of New York Society – At the May 2009 State Council, our program was “Lighthouses – Witnesses to the War of 1812”.  Southern Tier Chapter member Lillian Nixson presented this historical program.

New York City – At the Tompkins grave-marking, historian Barnett Shepherd spoke about Gov. Tompkins and his leadership in NYS in the War of 1812.  In addition, the chapter had a history program at each of the other three meetings held this year – “Washington and Madison – Shaping the Presidency”, which touched on Madison’s leadership and presidential powers during the War of 1812,  “Robert Fulton”, who, in addition to the steamboat, also designed submarines for wartime,  and “The Barbary Wars”, which were precursors to the War of 1812, helped to shape our navy, and brought fame to Stephen Decatur and other naval heroes.

Onondaga – Chapter member Mary Raye Casper worked at the “History Booth” at the New York State Fair in August 2009.  She helped set up this annual display and included the State of NY Society’s “Star Spangled Banner” flag in the display of flags with a descriptive “War of 1812” sign.  She also worked at the booth during the fair to answer questions about the other historical items on display plus spoke to prospective members about our Society.

12. Did members of any of your chapters take part or attend in symposiums on the War of
1812? If so, which chapters and which events?

No, but State of New York Society President and member of Onondaga Chapter talked with USMA History Department Instructors in May 2009 about the possibility of holding a symposium on the War of 1812 at West Point.

13. Did members of any of your chapters submit an article which was published in the 1812
Newsletter or in another publication. Be sure to name the chapter, the member of the chapter
whose article was published, the name of the publication in which it was published and the
date and the title of the article or articles.

New York City – The February 2009 Newsletter, page 47, included a report on their program at the War of 1812 Blockhouse No. 1 in Central Park.

14. Do any of the chapters in your state maintain chapter 1812 web sites? Please name which and
include their web address.

Yes, all State of NY Society Chapters have a web site that is linked to our State of NY Society’s Public site. http://nyusd1812.awardspace.com

Major George Armistead  - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyga1812/

Niagara Frontier - http://niagara1812.awardspace.com/

New York City - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyccusd/
Onondaga - http://onondaga1812.awardspace.com/
Southern Tier - http://southerntier1812.awardspace.com/

Whitney-Hungerford - http://whitneyhungerford1812.awardspace.com/

Our State of NY Society’s members only site is at: http://nyusd1812.awardspace.com/members/index.htm

15. Have any of your chapters visited schools and/or made contacts with teachers encouraging
them to use 1812 Resource materials with students studying American History?

Again, our State of NY Society President and member of Onondaga Chapter talked with Instructors in the History Department at the United States Military Academy in May 2009 encouraging them to hold a symposium on the War of 1812 during the upcoming Bicentennial.

16. Have any chapters within your state sponsored poster/ and or essay contests? If so, please
name the chapter or chapters who have.    NO

 

North Carolina: Report from PR Chairman including Photos and Newspaper Coverage.North Carolina SECOND PLACE WINNER, NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY BASED ON PUBLISHED NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY. Members will have a chance to see examples of North Carolina Publicity in PR Scrapbook.

Oklahoma: War of 1812 Publicity Booth Shopping Mall Publicizing Bicentennial
FIRST PLACE AWARD DISPLAY: Battle of New Orleans and U.S. Constitution.
Nancy Chotkey, the Oklahoma Public Relations Chairman, mounted a fantastic PR campaign -appearing at fairs and other public events with brochures, getting libraries and got ,it would appear, just about anyone who let her get a word in edgewise, to agree to accept displays based on the history of the War of 1812. And she accomplished all of this in spite of some terribly cold weather!

TENNESSEE: FIRST PLACE WINNER, NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY BASED ON PUBLISHED NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY.

Tennessee: Report, Photos and Newspaper Articles from PR Chairman. It and New York Best Report. Tennessee most publicity coverage PR activities. Report from Aline Roberts:

Chapter                                               Photo               Articles                       Inches

  1-Brig. General John Coffee                           0                           0

 

2-Colonel Thomas Hart Benton          0                         0                                     0

 

3-Crockett Forge Seat                         0                         0                                     0

 

4-Ellijah Cross II                                18                       14                             628.62

 

5-General Henry Knox                      4                          5                             96.88

 

6-Old Hickory Nickajack                   0                          0                                     0

 

7-Piomingo                                          5                          7                            328.64

 

8-Thomas Ogle                                   0                         11                            22.00

 

9-Tulip Grove                        13                         16                           958.70 

 

10-Upper Cumberland                       2                           4                            113.00

 

11-Volunteer-Wauhatchie                 7                          4                             225.75

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Total                                                 49                        61                        2,373.59

5- Did your chapter copy the Publicity Information Circular featured on the Natl’. Web Page.   Yes

1-Elijah Cross II Chapter- 120 copies made-given to 4 local community libraries and

   2 copies to Chamber of Commerce

2-Gen. Henry Knox Chapter- 25 copies made-given to 20 schools and 2 libraries

3- Tulip Grove Chapter- 50 copies made- gave 2 each 13 members present at meeting

    2 to each 4  County Libraries- 20 to the Hermitage = Total of 215 given out this year.

 

6-Spot Announcements

 1- Elijah Cross II Chapter- did for Flag Day, July 4th, Constitution Day, Veteran’s Day,

     Bill of Rights Day. Also sent announcements to WGTAM Radio in Gate City, VA/

    WCQR 88.3 FM Radio in Kingsport, TN

2- Thomas Ogle Chapter had TV announcement for Flag Day & Veteran’s Day Parade

 

7-Grave Markings

 1. Tulip Grove Chapter- marked (2 graves) George S. Morton-Feb 22, 2009 and his dau.

     Delphia Morton Henderson, Feb 22, 2009 Point Pleasant Church Cemetery, Henry Co.

   

 2- Gen. Henry Knox Chapter-marked ( 2 graves)  Linda Chandley Dunford Oct 11,2009

      in Limestone, Green county TN at Mt. Bethel Christian Church Cemetery. And

      Archibald Bradfute on October 24, 2009 in White Pine, Jefferson Co., TN

 3- Thomas Ogle Chapter – marked 4 graves

      John Allen b-12-30-1772  died 06-1849 and Reuben Allen b 04-02-1788 died 11-01-1864 located in Allen Family Cemetery, Cosby, TN

     Willis Gray 1795-1890 Bryant Cemetery, Newport, TN marked on May 17,09

     George Lewis Click, Inman Cemetery, Cocke, Co. TN marked Nov 12-09

 

 

8-Programs-on any aspect of the War of 1812

    American Prisoners of War of 1812; Battle of Horse Shoe Bend; Ft. McHenry; Star

    Spangled Banner Museum and House; St. Michael’s Church & membership  certificate ;Gen. Isaac Nelson in his role in War of 1812; Christmas During the War of 1812; 194th Battleof New Orleans; Life in the Fall of 1812; Ancestor of 1812; The History of Tea and
how it affected our nation.

9.Did any member of your chapter take part or attend in symposiums of the War 1812?

   Elijah Cross II Chapter-three members participated in a school program/roundtable

   Discussion event held in May 2009; Tulip Grove Chapter member Aline Roberts, has been

   asked to be part of the TN State Symposium –first meeting March 29, 2010

 

10.Did any member submit an article that was published in the 1812 News-Letter?

    TN President –Mrs. Bettie Gustafson , the TN Society marks grave Past President

    National Grave-Feb. 2009 p. 37

    TN Society Celebrates 100th Birthday, August News-Letter p. 74

 

 

11. Chapters that have a web site- Yes  2   also our TN State has a web page

       Gen. Henry Knox-http://web.mac.com/lyndawill/iWeb Site/Welcome.html

        Volunteer-Wauhatchie –www.Volunteer-Wauhatchie1812.com

       TN Society- Tennessee Website: rootsweb.com/tnusd/

 

12. Has your chapter visited schools and/or made contacts with teachers encouraging

      them to use 1812 Resource materials with students studying American History?

      Elijah Cross II Chapter-visited 5 schools. Plus works with Library leaders in one school

      to encourage reading about the War of 1812.

 

13. Did your chapter poster/and or have essay contests?

      None this year

 

14. Other PR Activities

      Elijah Cross Chapter II, placed a wreath on May 9th-09 –Pioneer and Patriot

            Marker at Martins’ Station, VA ;  June 6-09 –Placed a wreath on the

            Pioneer and Patriot Marker at Natural Tunnel State Park, VA.

           

          They also participated in the Relay for Life Team and helped raise money for

            the American Cancer Society;

          On November 11-09, The chapter president was asked to give the Benediction

            at the Gate City, VA Veterans Day Program. The Veterans Chairman placed a

          wreath and 7 members attended the event.

          On Dec. 12-09, the chapter participated in “Wreaths Across America at Mountain

           Home VA Cemetery. The wreath was placed in honor of the chapter namesake,

           Elijah Cross II, a veteran of the War of 1812.

  Old Hickory –Nickajack Chapter-Celebrated Constitution Day by attending the

            “Bell Ringing at the TN State Capital.

 Brig. Gen. John Coffee Chapter, had a “Veterans Display” and a speaker.

           They also took up Goodies for U.S. Troops and shipped them .

 

VIRGINIA Report from Public Relations Chairman Patricia Hatfield. Madisons of Montpelier marked 7 graves. Submitted an article on Officer Installation which was published in the February 2010 Newsletter. For a list of Virginia U.S. Daughters of the War of 1812 serving on the Virginia Bicentennial Commission See

Washington: Preliminary Report on War of 1812 Veteran Location Project
Report filed by President Linda Lind and Public Relations Chairman Marilyn Morrison. This state launched an interesting PR campaign involving membership in state and community activities which gave U.S.Daughters high visibility and access to the public and to libraries and and other public places were information of the U.S.D. of 1812 could be disseminated. Some of the observances in which Washington Daughters participated are: Lewis and Clark, Puget Sound, USS Enterprise, George Washington Memorial at UW, Alaska-Yukon Expo Centennial, Massing of Colors at Fort Lewis. HONORABLE MENTION STATE WEB SITE:The Washington Daughters maintain a very good state Web Site maintained by web mistress Charlotte Kennedy .Link

Wisconsin: Report on Prairie du Chien Fort and Battle site with photo of marker provided by state president Charlene Janeczko. See War 1812 Forts and Battles for more information.
A battle reenactment is held annually in July commemorating the Battle of Prairie du Chien (July17, 1814)For more info. See The Wisconsin daughters  donated 10 "Savor the Spirit" cookbooks to the gift shop last July and supportsThe Wisconsin Historical Society’s  effort to raise funds and promote awareness of the USD 1812.   The director, Michael Douglass, is supportive and has suggested that in July 2010 the USD 1812 group attend the reenactment weekend "show".   The Wisconsin Daughters letter writing campaign resulted in Wisconsin's senators signing on as sponsors of Commemorative Coin legislation.

NEWSLETTERS

Newletters: North Carolina, The Wasp, submitted by the Captain Johnston Blakeley Chapter and the Wasp Junior, a publication for Junior Members which includes articles and information of interest to younger members

Newsletter: TENNESSEE:NOMINATED FOR AWARD AS BEST NEWSLETTER. To see go open following Link.

Special thanks to the following: Reita Reid, PR Chairman Alabama, Lynne Blevins, PR Chairman North Carolina, Nancy Chotkey, Oklahoma PR Chairman, Aline Roberts PR Chairman Tennessee and 2nd. Vice President National, and Linda Lind, the Washington State President and Charlene Janeczko, the Wisconsin State President and all of those who helped me with reports and provided information used on this web site.

REPORTS

Alabama- Report "Digging Into the Past, An Archeological Dig at Madison's Montpelier"

Speaker Kathryn Penton (left) is shown here with Carolyn Drennen, the President of the  Alabama Chapter Chapter of U.S. Daughters of 1812 at their October 29th. meeting held at the Club in Birmingham.   Kathryn Madison Penton is a descendant of William Madison, brother of President James Madison.

Her talk, entitled “Digging into the Past”, highlighted Mrs. Penton’s  participation in an archeological dig at Montpelier, the Orange County Virginia plantation home of James Madison and his charming and popular wife Dolley.  Dolley Payne Madison is known for her having  saved the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington and a copy of the Declaration of Independence when the British burned Washington, D.C. on August 24, 1814 during the War of 1812.
Montpelier was the lifelong home of James Madison, "Father of the Constitution," sponsor of the Bill of Rights, and fourth president of the United States (1809-1817) , but  Montpelier was also home to three generations of Madisons—from 1723, when Ambrose Madison, the president's grandfather was deeded the land, until 1844 when the widowed Dolley Madison sold the estate. In 1723 Ambrose Madison and brother-in-law, Thomas Chew, patented 4,675 acres in the newly opened Piedmont of Virginia
.  It was not until 1732 that Ambrose and his wife, Frances Taylor Madison, along with their three children, moved to the Montpelier estate, then called Mount Pleasant. Less than six months later, Ambrose was dead. Some time in early summer, probably in June or early July, Ambrose fell ill, apparently the victim of poisoning . On August 27, Ambrose died—leaving his wife Frances to run the Mount Pleasant plantation. Frances then ran this tobacco plantation with notable success, and continued to co-manage it along with their only son, James Madison, once he came of age in 1741. In 1749 Col. Madison, as he would be known, married Nelly Conway, and in 1751 she gave birth to the first of their 12 children, James Madison, Jr., the future president.

Around 1760, for reasons yet unknown, Col. Madison built a new plantation complex, including a new house, about half a mile southeast of Mount Pleasant. It is possible that James and Nelly, who had been living with his mother, needed more space, since by 1760 the family included four children. When the new house, known as Montpelier, was finished, it was the most elaborate structure in the county, although still rather small by modern day standards
It consisted of nine rooms, a basement and an outside kitchen. The precise date of construction is unknown, but in writing his memoirs, James Jr. recollected that he helped move lighter pieces of furniture to the new house when he was nine years old.

Col. Madison was a man of great talent and enterprise. He not only ran a prosperous tobacco plantation, but also established several businesses, including a distillery, a contractingbusiness and an ironworks.

James Madison after his marriage to Dolley enlarged the house, adding a thirty foot extension on the north side, and portico.  Madison’s icehouse was made to resemble a Grecian temple.
Madison’s correspondence reveals that a close relationship existed between himself and Thomas Jefferson who lived a few hours away by carriage .In 1793 James Madison asked Thomas Jefferson to supply plans for a house for his younger brother William, Mrs. Penton’s ancestor..  Jefferson suggested a floor plan for a seven-room house in a geometric configuration that is a hallmark of Jefferson's residential designs.  James Madison later wrote to Jefferson saying that William had adopted the plans.  The William Madison home later became the residence of the headmaster of the Woodberry Forest School.

Following the death of her husband, Dollie turned the administration of Montpelier to her son Payne Todd.  Dollie and James Madison had no children together, but Madison had treated Payne as a son and quietly paid his gambling debts without telling Dollie that her son’s debts soared to many thousands of dollars. With Payne in charge, the debts mounted and Montpelier began to disappear beginning with the furnishings of the house which were sold off. Dollie’s son Payne Todd had drunk and gambled away his inheritance.  Montpelier passed through eight owners before it was bought in 1901 by the wealthy Dupont Family. The Duponts added 30,000 square feet to the house and constructed horse stables, out buildings and even a horse cemetery.  Fortunately, for those who would later work to restore Montpelier to what it looked like in the time of James and Dollie, the Duponts had proven themselves to be somewhat thrifty.  A door taken from one place in the house was often reused in another,One year after Montpelier's acquisition by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1984, archaeological surveys began on the 2,650-acre property. The results of these surveysindicated the rich history that lay beneath the soil at Montpelier. One of the most important contributions that archaeology has made to the interpretation of Montpelier was to determine how the landscape has changed since the Madisons first acquired the property in 1723. This research has produced exciting finds that offer insight into the lives of the Madison family, the enslaved African Americans who worked on the estate, and the post-Madison occupation of the property by freed slaves and Civil War soldiers.

The Montpelier Archaeology Department has focused on five major sites: the Montpelier mansion and yard which was home to James and Dolley, the Mount Pleasant site which was the home of original patent home of the Madison family, the Gilmore Cabin that was a Freedman’s Farm belonging to George Gilmore, one of James Madison’s emancipated slaves and a Confederate encampment occupied by South Carolina soldiers during the winters of 1863 and 1864.  
The restoration of Montpelier required the removal of 1,900 tons of masonry and producing  handmade bricks with just the right amount of horse hair.  The staff also learned how to make cypress shingles.  Seventy-five per cent of the floor is original.  A rat’s nest was found to have preserved a sample of Dollie’s favorite wall paper.

Mrs. Penton participated in a dig that focused on what the archeologists referred to as Dollie’s midden, a trash heap adjacent to the house where refuse including broken items such as pieces of Dollie’s blue and white porcelain were deposited.  Among the items unearthed were oyster shells and pigs’ teeth, a part of a bottle and a door hinge.  
James and Dollie Madison are both buried in the Madison Family Cemetery on the Montpelier grounds.  The family cemetery is enclosed by a fence donated by the DAR.  The U.S.Daughters of 1812 hope to honor James Madison by placing a historical marker at Montpelier recognizing James Madison as the president who led this nation throughout the War of 1812.