Thomas Jefferson is buried on the grounds, along with his wife and much of his family. The slave's cemetery was somewhere else on the property and unmarked so that it wasn't even discovered until the year 2000. I am finding that is the case at most of the south--the slave's graves would have only small wooden markers that quickly decay and disappear leaving the graves undiscovered until someone decides to dig up an area.
The cemetery is surrounded by this wrought iron fence.
The cemetery is surrounded by this wrought iron fence.
For anyone curious about the Sally Hemings family, the docent said she moved to Ohio and is thought to be buried there. DNA has definitely connected her offspring to the Jefferson family though there is no direct connection to Jefferson himself. The family reunions now include a very interesting ethnic mix and I can't help but think that Jefferson would have been pleased.
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