Octagon Away By Jerry Haines Special to The Washington Post Wednesday, March 31, 1999; Page C09

Today Monticello attracts busloads of people eager to see in minute detail how Jefferson lived: his books, his gadgets and his tastes in furnishings. But Poplar Forest, 90 miles south, is bare of furniture, rugs, curtains, even plaster. So what is its attraction? Two things: It stands as a testament not only to Jefferson's genius, but also to the devotion of modern restorationists and the lengths to which they will go to discover how something was built and to duplicate faithfully everything necessary to re-create it as it was. Well, except for the leaky roof.

In 1806, during his second term as president, Jefferson began laying the foundation for an octagonal villa on the grounds of Poplar Forest, the nearly 5,000-acre tobacco farm that had been owned by his father-in-law, John Wayles. Jefferson was fond of Italian architectural design and was intrigued by the octagon and its potential for natural illumination. And so he built a carefully symmetrical country villa with high ceilings and large windows. This made the outside ring of rooms bright, if somewhat oddly shaped. At the center is a great, perfectly cubical hall, 20 feet at each edge. A long skylight runs from east to west and lets the sun into the central hall during all parts of the day. (Unfortunately, it also admitted the rain.) In addition to more light, the building's octagonal shape allowed greater cross-ventilation on sultry summer afternoons. In the winter, symmetrically positioned fireplaces heated the house.

Like Monticello, Poplar Forest was nearly always a work in progress. Only after many years did Jefferson finally pronounce it fit for his beloved granddaughters, whose visits he adored in this comparatively Spartan hideaway. They missed their music, though, so he indulged them with a harpsichord. They also enjoyed visits to the Natural Bridge some 25 miles away, which -- a little-known fact -- Jefferson owned.

Jefferson's escapes to Poplar Forest provided not only solitude but time for gardening and farming. "Though I am an old man I am but a young gardener," he wrote. Although the trip now takes less than four hours by car from Washington, Jefferson's ride there from Monticello took three days by carriage, or two on horseback. When he went, he stayed a while, often scheduling stays to coincide with important spans in the farming cycle.

After Jefferson's death in 1826, the same laws that had prevented his wife from inheriting her father's plantation also prevented his daughter from receiving it. Instead it went to a grandson -- who hated it. He quickly sold it, whereupon successive owners, caring little for Jefferson's Italian inspirations, tried to make it more utilitarian. The great hall was rudely divided into two stories. Outbuildings fell into disrepair. But perhaps the most significant harm was an 1845 fire that, ironically, appears to have been caused by a fireplace and, specifically, its angled flue, which had been necessary to accommodate the skylight and the symmetrical placement of the fireplaces.

In 1984 the nonprofit Corporation for Jefferson's Poplar Forest took title to the buildings and the few acres that remained of the plantation grounds. The goal of this group was not to operate a "Jefferson-Land," but to preserve Poplar Forest against the growing development of the once-bucolic area.

Their intense attention to detail is an inspiration to obsessive types everywhere -- a group of modern perfectionists trying to duplicate the work of one of our founding perfectionists. Jefferson left detailed records of his plans, but unfortunately, it is not always possible to determine which of his plans he actually carried out. Thus the story of Poplar Forest's rescue is not only one of restoration, but archaeology as well. By digging carefully, scholars have learned much about the kitchens and auxiliary buildings that once adjoined the villa and the now-vanished gardens. And the slave quarters -- since Poplar Forest was a plantation, with many of the sobering aspects that went with Southern plantation life.

Based on this information the corporation set about stripping Poplar Forest of everything post-Jefferson -- down to its bare brick walls -- and correcting even those where it appeared that changes had been made. Original brick was used when available, but when it was not, new brick was made from the original recipe. New mortar also was mixed by hand from the same soil, sand and limestone that it would have been in the early 19th century, and nails were handcrafted by Colonial Williamsburg blacksmiths. Modern detectives located wood of the appropriate age in the wreckage of old hotels and sunken ships for Poplar Forest's lintels and other embellishments. The intricate roof was restored to its original condition -- except for the addition of a rubber membrane. (Were the ghost of Cornelia Jefferson to sit sketching in the central hall today as young Cornelia often did when visiting her grandfather, she would have little reason to fear that a rainstorm would smudge her drawings.)

The result so far of all this devotion, proud tour guides will tell you, is that as of 1998, the exterior of the villa finally looked just as it did the last time Mr. Jefferson saw it, in 1823.

The tour itself is not long -- only about 30 minutes. Work on the interior continues, and some of the building may not be accessible. Outside you can, by using your imagination, envision Jefferson's sunken garden and plantation fields. (You will have to tune out the neighboring golf course, however, which the corporation rents out to help pay for its project.) At the tip of the two wings of Jefferson's symmetrical design are matched octagonal brick outhouses (or, in Jefferson's words, "necessaries") that survived the elements, the fire and the inattention. They look like oversize salt and pepper shakers.

Today, when the workaday world becomes overwhelming, we zip down to Wintergreen or cocoon ourselves for the weekend at the shore. Similarly, one can imagine Jefferson on busy Monticello weekends complaining that he could not even hear himself think. No doubt the nation is richer for the fact that he also had Poplar Forest, a place where he could hear his thoughts clearly.

Being There: Poplar Forest is open 10 to 4 daily April through November (except Thanksgiving). Admission is $7 ($6 seniors, $1 ages 6 through 16). Guided tours are given every half-hour. Poplar Forest has no dining facilities but is a dandy place for a picnic. (There are tables and vending machines. If you haven't packed your own, pick up something at Bear Creek Tavern on Route 221.)

Among the highlights of nearby Lynchburg, which was one of the wealthiest cities in the country during the Civil War, are Point of Honor (804-847-1459), a restored and furnished Federal-era mansion; walking tours of its Garland Hill or Diamond Hill historic districts; and African American poet Anne Spencer's house and gardens at 1313 Pierce St. (804-845-1313).

Where to Stay: Lynchburg Mansion Inn (800-352-1199, doubles $109 to $144); Madison House (804-528-1503, $89 to $119); the Hilton Lynchburg (804-237-6333, $89 to $120); and Holiday Inn Select (804-528-2500, $58 to $85).

Where to Eat: Cafe France (804-385-8989; despite the name, it's nouvelle American); Crown Sterling (804-239-7744; a clubby steakhouse); Jazz Street Grill (804-385-0100; New Orleans cuisine, live music); Main Street Eatery (804-847-2526; modern American, informal setting); Meriwether's (804-384-3663; gourmet but homey).

For More Information: Contact the foundation at (804-525-1806) or www.poplarforest.org. For Lynchburg information, contact the Lynchburg Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-732-5821 or www.ace-lynchburg.com/virginia/lynchburg. Recommended reading: "Thomas Jefferson and Poplar Forest," by S. Allen Chambers Jr.

Getaway tips? Good trips? Send a note to escapist@washpost.com. For a guidebook filled with more than 75 getaway ideas, check out Escape Plans, now available at bookstores and area Giants.