The Virginia estate where Thomas Jefferson spent his early childhood has been listed for $17 million, marking the first time the property has been available for purchase in nearly 100 years. Historic Tuckahoe, a 557-acre property located along the James River, holds National Historic Landmark status and is situated on the National Register of Historic Places.
The assessed value of the estate by Goochland and Henrico counties is just over $13.2 million. The asking price of $17 million would set a new regional record if the sale reaches that sum. The property is being listed by the Thompson family, who have owned it since the 1930s and are seeking new owners who appreciate its historical significance.
The main house, with its five bedrooms, dates back to 1733, with construction beginning under William Randolph. Architectural historians note its unusual H-shaped layout, formed by additions made about seven years later. It is described as the last Randolph family home still on its original footprint.
Jefferson moved to Tuckahoe with his parents, Peter and Jane Jefferson, in 1745, when he was two years old. His parents were named guardians of orphaned Randolph children. He lived at the estate for seven years, receiving his initial formal education in a one-room schoolhouse built by his father on the grounds. This structure, still standing, features a domed ceiling that is noted as an early exposure to classical dome design for the future architect of Monticello.
Beyond the main residence, the estate includes a row of outbuildings known as Plantation Street. These structures, including the original kitchen, smokehouse, storehouse, barn, overseer's office, and former quarters for enslaved workers, are considered one of the most complete surviving 18th-century plantation layouts in North America. The interior of the main house retains period windows, ornate entryways, and a fully paneled black walnut salon that remains largely unaltered.
Murdoch Matheson of Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty is managing the listing. He stated that interest has been significant since the property went on the market. The sale is protected by conservation easements donated to Virginia’s Board of Historic Resources and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, though Matheson indicated that other uses for the property could be explored while prioritizing its historic stewardship.