Forest, VA: Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation. The nonprofit’s Board of Directors has issued a one-to-one matching challenge to unlock a capstone gift of $500,000 and raise a total of $3.5 million. The grant is the largest ever awarded to the historic home by a private foundation and will help to fund the recently created Travis C. McDonald, Jr. Historic House Stewardship Fund. 

The grant given on behalf of the late Mrs. Anne R. Worrell, a founding donor and faithful supporter of The Corporation for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, in support of the Stewardship Fund, will help underwrite the ongoing maintenance and conservation of Jefferson’s restored personal retreat. Mrs. Worrell, and her husband Gene were part of the group that gathered in the historic house by candlelight on a cold December night in 1983 to form The Corporation for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest. The couple made a leadership commitment that night that helped to change the course of Poplar Forest’s history. With the house no longer threatened by commercial development, the group set out to restore Jefferson’s retreat for current and future generations to experience. “Anne Worrell was a steadfast supporter and driving force behind the efforts to restore the villa to Jefferson’s vision. She served as Chair of the Board and was a tireless champion of our endeavors,” said Alyson M. Ramsey, President and CEO of Poplar Forest. “Now 40 years later, with the restoration of Jefferson’s villa complete, Mrs. Worrell’s vision, determination and generosity are on display for all to see.”

“Among the many causes supported by Anne and Gene Worrell, perhaps none was more important to them than Poplar Forest,” said Phillip C. Stone, Board Chair for the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation. “At the very beginning, when it was not clear that the historic home of Jefferson could even be preserved, they provided vital resources for the effort. Undaunted by the challenge of restoring the house to its original condition, they continued their generous support. Anne served as Chair of the Board of Poplar Forest, and just before her death, made another large gift to improve access to the house. It was her wish that it would be a special heritage center for the life, accomplishments and thoughts of Thomas Jefferson. Sharing their admiration for Jefferson and the love of his beloved retreat, I am delighted that the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation continues to support Poplar Forest. We hope other donors will join us in preserving this national treasure.”

“The Worrell Foundation’s generosity will create a path for ensuring the legacy of Jefferson’s architectural genius endures for generations,” said Boyce Brannock, Poplar Forest Board Chair. “On behalf of the Corporation’s Board of Directors, staff and volunteers, we are deeply grateful to the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation’s Board of Directors, Grants Committee and staff for this generous investment and transformational gift. Between now and July 31, 2026, we will work to leverage the Foundation’s generosity with a one-to-one matching challenge designed to move us closer to our goal of creating a $3.5 million fund to support the long-term care and preservation of the historic house.” The Travis C. McDonald, Jr. Historic House Stewardship Fund was named in honor of Poplar Forest’s retired director of architectural restoration, who dedicated 34 years of his career to the restoration and preservation of Jefferson’s Palladian-style villa.

About the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation
The Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation is committed to supporting initiatives and organizations that align with its mission to cultivate resilient communities and ecosystems in the places the Worrells called home. The Foundation focuses its grant making in specific Virginia counties in Greater Charlottesville, Far Southwest Virginia and Surry County. Grant-making focus areas include economic mobility and well-being, preserving natural assets, and family legacy initiatives. To learn more, visit agworrellfoundation.org.

About Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest
One of only two homes Thomas Jefferson designed for his personal use, Poplar Forest was the place where Jefferson “came to indulge in the life of the mind and renew his personal creativity.” Jefferson and his wife, Martha, inherited the Bedford County plantation known as Poplar Forest from her father in 1773. Jefferson began construction on his villa retreat in 1806. When his presidency ended in 1809, he visited Poplar Forest three or four times a year, often staying for several months at a time during planting seasons. At the height of tobacco production during Jefferson’s ownership, as many as 94 enslaved people lived on the plantation, with a total of 317 enslaved people living here during the period of 1760—1865. Through ongoing research, The Corporation for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest strives to better tell the stories of all who lived and worked at Poplar Forest.

Designated a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior, and nearly lost to development, Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest villa in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains was rescued in 1984 by a group of local citizens who sought to preserve it for the cultural and educational benefit of the public. Poplar Forest was opened to the public for the first time in 1986, in its “before restoration” state. Today the neoclassical architecture of the octagonal house has been returned to Thomas Jefferson’s design. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has recognized the meticulous research and restoration efforts with its highest award, and the plantation has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For questions or more information on the one-to-one matching challenge, please call Renée Flowers, Director of Development at 434.534.8129 or email renee@poplarforest.org. 

Poplar Forest is open daily beginning January 13 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and from March 1 through December 30 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m (closed on Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Admission includes a guided house tour—by docent or app—and self-guided exploration of exhibits in the lower level of the house, the Wing of Offices, the ornamental grounds, the 1857 Slave Dwelling and the Quarter Site. Docent-guided tours of the octagonal house are offered at 10:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Enslaved community talks are available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from April through October and are free with regular admission. All tours are based on docent availability. Please call ahead to confirm scheduling.  

Admission to Poplar Forest includes a docent-guided or app-guided house tour and self-guided exploration of exhibits in the lower level of the house, the Wing of Offices, the Quarter Site, ornamental grounds and hiking trails. Admission: $26 for adults, $23 for seniors (ages 65+) and military (must show ID), $12 for college students (must show ID) and teens (ages 12–17), $6 for youth (ages 6–11), free for children under age 6 and Poplar Forest members, and $40 per person for a private tour. Admission for members of the military and their families is free (with ID) from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day as part of the Blue Star Museums programs. Tours for groups of 20 or more are available by appointment at a discounted rate.

For more information about Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, visit poplarforest.org or call 434.525.1806.