| Existing comment:
Mount Pleasant, built around 1725 by Ambrose Madison, was the seat for his 2,338-acre plantation. The Madisons traced their Virginia roots to the mid-1600s, and Ambrose was among the Piedmonth's earliest settlers. After clearing the largest timber, slaves planted tobacco, corn, and fruit trees to establish the farm's economic base. Ambrose died suddenly in 1732, leaving his widow, Frances, to run the young plantation. His will, however, dictated that their son, James, assume responsibility for Mount Pleasant when he turned eighteen. James Madison, Sr., lived here with his mother, even after he married and had children, including James Jr. (b. 1751). By the 1760s, Madison, Sr., had improved the plantation by expanding his crops, adding artisan shops run by skilled slaves, and building a new house for his family. |