Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

An architectural study of Thomas Jefferson's rural retreat. The retreat holds a unique and important place in his architectural work. Essentially, Poplar Forest can be seen as Thomas Jefferson's creative solution to lifelong experimentation with octagonal forms, based on his imaginative rethinking of ideas from European treatises. In addition, his puzzling combination of the crude, rustic Tuscan order with a formal octagonal garden offers an interesting insight into Jefferson's ideas about the principle of decor or fitness. Although these are perhaps the most important aspects of Poplar Forest, Jefferson's retreat also expresses his love of cubic forms, his desire for light and air. and his addiction to classical ideas. Seen within the context of Jefferson's education and humanist background, as well as his architectural development. Poplar Forest represents a remarkable confluence of ideas which were developed over the course of his lifetime.