Last updated: March 22, 2022
Place
Declaration House
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Restroom, Wheelchair Accessible
The Declaration House is currently closed. However, the wayside signage on the fence provides an interesting glimpse into the development of the property over time, as well as its most-famous occupants, Thomas Jefferson and Robert Hemings.
Thomas Jefferson resided here with his enslaved servant, Robert Hemings, while drafting the Declaration of Independence. Working in rooms rented from bricklayer Jacob Graff, Jefferson drafted a declaration espousing the political ideas of enlightenment philosophers. In little more than two weeks, Jefferson finished his timeless defense of, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Demolished in 1883, the house was reconstructed by the National Park Service in 1975.