Ladies of the Neighborhood

September 26, 2019

Three compelling ladies of Orange and Albemarle counties were noted hostesses for their historic homes in the early 1800s. Martha Jefferson Randolph of Monticello was cultivated, well educated and experienced in the arts and served as her father's hostess. She worked to implement his casual style and embodied the era's ideal of female civic virtue. Dolley Madison of Montpelier was known for her frank and gracious manners and established diplomatic protocol and etiquette that set the standard for the role of the President's spouse. Martha Walker Divers of Farmington was noted far and wide for her "abode of hospitality" which resulted in an influential and extended circle of friends. Elizabeth Chew, Vice President of Museum Programs at James Madison's Montpelier, presents an overview of these fascinating ladies, their friendships, and lives in the early Republic.