Kaine on hand for Poplar Forest's 200th anniversary

FOREST — Thomas Jefferson’s personal pursuit of happiness led him to build Poplar Forest, a private retreat home in Bedford County that for the past 25 years has blossomed into one of the area’s top attractions.

Two centuries after Jefferson spent his first extended stay there, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine visited the site for his first time Wednesday to kick off its bicentennial celebration.

Invited to attend by Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford, Kaine called the restored retreat a “heroic achievement” that honors Jefferson’s spirit of optimism and appreciation for beauty in the face of great adversity.

“I wanted to come here for many years, and when Del. Putney asked if I would come today, I was just destined to say yes,” Kaine told a crowd gathered on the lawn outside the octagonal house, despite the threat of rain.

Accompanied by Putney and Bill Barker, a Jefferson impersonator who regularly visits the retreat for events, Kaine publicly recognized the rescue effort of the nonprofit that since 1983 has toiled to restore the home.

Lynn Beebe, president of Poplar Forest, told gatherers they were the first in more than 160 years to see the architecture on the grounds exactly as Jefferson saw it due to the recent restoration work on several exterior features. Those include the completion of a “wing of offices” just east of the octagonal home, with an innovative flat roof upon which Jefferson loved to stroll in the evenings.

“What a great thing you’ve done for generations by preserving this property and bringing the exterior back to life,” Kaine said.

Travis McDonald, director of architectural restoration, said work has been ongoing — from the masonry to the deck on the wing for the past 10 years, and for the past six years on the roof, which he described as “very complicated.”

“It’s one of these things where you have to see it to understand it,” said McDonald.

The finishing touches were just put on this week, said Anna Bentson, director of public relations and marketing.

McDonald gave Kaine a personal tour of the home after his speech.

“It was magnificent,” Kaine said. “The way they had taken it back to its original design, it was a tremendous amount of work.”

Jefferson was 81 when he last visited the home in 1823.

In his speech, Kaine touched on a passage he read where Jefferson purchased a musical instrument when he was seriously ill. The act of optimism during such a trial was intriguing, he said.

Poplar Forest, he said, “is of much the same philosophy.”

Putney referred to the home as an “unmatched historic landmark” and a “gem of national and international importance” for Bedford County.

The retreat home has various events lined up throughout the year to commemorate the bicentennial, including a first-ever wine festival planned for November.

Sergei Troubetzkoy, Bedford’s director of tourism, said what makes this festival unique from others is that it would be on a site associated with Jefferson, who he said happens to be among the first who attempted to introduce wine to America.

“He had a passion for wine,” said Troubetzkoy. “We hope this will become an annual event here.”

Barker, dressed in colonial-like wardrobe and speaking in a distinct tone to match Jefferson’s, addressed the crowd gathered on the lawn outside the octagonal house during the ceremony.

After praising the Jefferson Forest High School Symphonic Band, which played several patriotic songs to mark the occasion, his comments drew laughter at times as he compared the Jeffersonian era to today in areas such as technology, education, transportation and even clothes.

“I always believed in dressing for comfort but you overwhelm me,” Barker told the audience.

Channeling Jefferson, Barker said: “When it comes to fashion, swim with the currents. But when it comes to principles, stand like a rock.”