This Founding Father’s Estate Could Become Virginia’s Next State Park
On a sprawling estate stretching across more than 1,200 acres in Aldie, Virginia lies Oak Hill, the last privately-owned residence that once belonged to an American President. Yet, Oak Hill is more than a handsome brick house perched above Northern Virginia’s rolling countryside. It is a tangible stitch in the fabric of our nation.
The estate was once home to James Monroe, our fifth president and a Founding Father whose name is entwined with the expansion and the diplomacy of the early Republic. The last in a dynasty of Virginia-born Presidents, he served his nascent nation in the years following the War of 1812 and oversaw the reconstruction of the White House, the Capitol Building and other structures throughout Washington, D.C. following the devastating fires set by the British.
Yet it is from here, at Oak Hill, that he crafted his greatest legacy as President of the United States – the Monroe Doctrine. President Monroe spent several years at this address in Loudoun County and retired here following his two terms in office.
Preserving Oak Hill as a public park would give Virginians and Americans a place to study Monroe’s life and legacy and to celebrate the commonwealth that produced so many leaders of the early United States. Recent momentum behind that idea, led by Delegate Geary Higgins and embraced by Governor Glenn Youngkin, feels like the right answer to a rare opportunity. That momentum gained significant ground in November 2025, when The Conservation Fund announced it had officially acquired the entire 1,200-acre Oak Hill estate, ensuring the property will be protected from subdivision and development while plans for a state park advance.
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