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Thomas Jefferson

Guardian of the Natural Bridge

By: Mark Andrew Holowchak

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eBook | 3 July 2024

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Described by Thomas Jefferson as "the most sublime of nature's works," the Natural Bridge is a 215-foot limestone arch in Rockbridge County, Virginia, carved out over millennia by Cedar Creek. Jefferson acquired the bridge in 1774 and, for the rest of his long life, oversaw its preservation and management. In this book, Jefferson authority Andrew Holowchak guides readers through the story of the man and his monument. Notable episodes include Jefferson's initial interest in the Natural Bridge; his sublime depiction of the site in his Notes on Virginia; his lifelong efforts to preserve the bridge by protecting it from those who might desecrate it; his controversial decision to allow mining of lead and saltpeter nearby; and the arrival of freed slave Patrick Henry, whom Jefferson permitted to squat on land near the bridge and use it as his own. This is a unique and remarkable biography of Jefferson's lifelong fascination with one of the most beloved natural monuments in the United States.