James Monroe Birthplace

Colonial Beach VA

James Monroe, our fifth President, was born here in 1758. He lived here until he was 16 and he entered William & Mary College. The house has been rebuilt according to historical records. All the rooms are set with pieces that reflect mid-18th century furnishings.

Bed warmer
Reproduction of the coat worn by 18 year old Lieutenant James Monroe at the Battle of Trenton in 1776. A feature of the uniforms of that time was the rank of Major and above wore two epaulets, while the rank of Captain wore a single epaulet on the right side, and ranks below Captain wore a single epaulet on the left side.
The visitor center has a few portraits of James Monroe…
Bust of James Monroe, by Cathe Wahendahl, 1957
James Monroe was a significant contributor to the early days of our country. He is considered “The Last Founding Father”. I think he deserves more attention and honor. This site should be part of our National Park system, but so far, it is a privately run organization.