Legislation unanimously advanced in the Virginia General Assembly last week to create Historic Oak Hill State Park in Loudoun County.
Oak Hill, now owned by the DeLashmutt family who are working with The Conservation Fund to preserve the home and land, was built by former President James Monroe in 1823. The home, on a 1,200-acre estate 40 miles west of Washington, D.C., is where Monroe lived when he delivered the Monroe Doctrine to Congress. The document, still a cornerstone of American foreign policy, declared European non-interference in the Western Hemisphere. Monroe retired to Oak Hill after serving two terms as president of the United States. He farmed, hosted quests and wrote his autobiography.
After a 10 to 0 vote, the legislation passed out of the House Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee’s Natural Resources Subcommittee and will be considered by the full committee on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
A feasibility study released last week revealed benefits of preserving Oak Hill, which will require no funds from the state’s General Fund.
“This study makes clear the many benefits — and true necessity — of getting this project done. Oak Hill’s historic fabric, agricultural legacy and rich open space represent a tremendous opportunity for Virginia, as the study rightly emphasizes. Further, this study shows that acquisition and operation of this park is truly possible without tapping dollars from Virginia’s General Fund. That’s why The Conservation Fund is continuing to work in earnest with the Youngkin Administration and the General Assembly to transform Oak Hill into Virginia’s newest state park,” Conservation Fund lead on the project Heather Richards said.
Beyond its architectural beauty and historic importance, Oak Hill holds untold stories of enslaved and indigenous peoples who lived and worked on the land. The land also contains remnants of early mechanized agricultural systems.
Oak Hill would be the only privately owned home of a Founding Father preserved in the U.S., but, according to the study, also “combines a landscape embodying a broad spectrum of Virginia’s histories, with much-needed outdoor recreation access.” Oak Hill “may well be the last viable opportunity to secure public open space of this size and significance in Northern Virginia.”
Related stories:
Lawmakers request President Monroe’s home in Oak Hill designated as unit of National Park System
Loudoun County: President James Monroe’s Oak Hill home to be preserved as Virginia State Park
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Rebecca Barnabi
