A farmhouse in Charlottesville thought to be the home of former American President James Monroe has been disproved owing to recent excavations on the property. Located in central Virginia, the farmhouse has attracted tourists for decades owing to its believed historical value.
New evidence has revealed that the building once thought to have been the residence of President Monroe is a guest house, according to AP. It is now being claimed, that the farmhouse in Virginia is a guest house owned by President Monroe and not his residence.
Executive Director, James Monroe's estate, Sara Bon-Harper told the news agency the new findings revealed an unexpected historical mix-up. However, she said trustees were happy that through scientific evaluation the true history behind the property has come to light.
Foundations of a much larger house were discovered recently during archeological excavations on the property. This was the first hint that the farmhouse had been wrongly identified as Monroe's residence, Washington Post reported.
The latest scientific findings reveal that former President Monroe's original home was burnt in a fire shortly after it was sold. The farmhouse today is believed to have been a guest house that was put up two decades later in its place. Since the 1800s, scholars believed the property was President Monroe's residence.
A scientific technique of "dating trees" was used to verify the recent findings. Pieces of wood from the structure of the present Charlottesville farmhouse were subject to testing.
The results revealed that the trees used to build its structure were cut in 1818. Furthermore, scientists discovered a letter about the same time, where President Monroe refers to a small home being built for visitors to the area.
Currently, excavations on the property are still ongoing. However, trustees hope to treat visitors to a virtual tour of the home in the near future.
Monroe, who was the fifth President of the United States served between 1817 and 1825. He is considered a founding father of America and the last President to emerge from Virginia who was a Republican.
Watch a clip on the guest house below :