THE
MONTICELLO
ASSOCIATION

The Monticello Association is a non-profit organization of lineal descendants of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, who was also the designer, builder, owner and principal resident of Monticello. The Association's purposes are stated in Article II of its Constitution. Somewhat abbreviated, they are:
     (A) (first) To preserve and care for the graves and grounds of the Monticello graveyard, (second) to protect and perpetuate the reputation and fame of Thomas Jefferson and (third) to encourage association and friendship among Mr. Jefferson's descendants;
     (B) to defend the property rights of the lineal descendants of Colonel  Thomas Jefferson Randolph as owners of the original Monticello graveyard; and
     (C) to affirm the rights of the descendants of Thomas Jefferson to burial in the addition to the Monticello graveyard as provided in the covenant under which this property was deeded.

No. Monticello is owned by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation.

The graveyard is located at Monticello.  It is reached by a path off the ellipse in front of the West Portico. The path leads down the hill towards the entrance gate.

Burial is open to any lineal descendant of Thomas Jefferson.

A person who is in direct line to an ancestor, such as child, grandchild, great-grandchild
and on forever. A lineal descendant is distinguished from a "collateral" descendant, which would be from the line of a brother, sister, aunt or uncle.

Descendant

"Those persons who are in the blood stream of the ancestor. Term means those descended from another, persons who proceed from a body of another such as a child or grandchild, to the remotest degree; it is the opposite of "ascendants".
Basssett v. Merlin, Inc. Fla. App., 304 SO.2d 543,544
In the plural, the term means issue, offspring or posterity in general. Also, all those to whom an estate descends, whether it be in a direct or collateral line from the intestate."

We are a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 (c)(13) of the Internal Revenue Code (Cemetery Companies), and are classified as a non-profit organization.

Application is made to the Secretary of the Association. A paper trail (i.e. birth certificates) showing descent is required.

If a person is already a member, has children, signs them up as junior members, they then can be promoted to regular members upon reaching the age of 18. Otherwise there must be a paper trail.

Persons in an official position, who in that position have assisted the Association and shown interest in furthering its aims, may upon nomination by the Executive Committee of the Association, be elected Honorary Members. Traditionally, this has been the President of the University of Virginia and the President of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation.

They are associate members only and have no voting privileges.

Besides Mr. Jefferson, there are many other family members buried there. Please see "Persons Buried at Monticello".

The date for the Annual Meeting is the first Sunday in May or June, or as soon thereafter as possible. Meetings are in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The current President of the Association is James Truscott.

The Custodian of the Association. See the printed Annual Report for more information.