In light of recent events relating to James Madison's Montpelier, on April 20, 2022, Preservation Piedmont issued a letter to the leadership of Montpelier asking that the Foundation President and majority of the Board of Directors effectively relinquish their preservation leadership roles in the region, Virginia, and the nation.
We ask the Foundation to rescind the termination of staff members who have served the historic site for so many years and have worked hard to sustain good relations with the Montpelier Descendant Committee.
Finally, we ask for the formation of a new Board and appointment of a new President through the guidance of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is our sincere hope that a new Board and President can resume working toward an equitable leadership structure and stewardship that faithfully follows the guidelines in Engaging Descendant Communities in the Interpretation of Slavery at Museums and Historic Sites: A Rubric of Best Practices Established by the National Summit on Teaching Slavery.
You can read a full copy of the letter here.
Preservation Piedmont also sent a letter to Paul Edmonson, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, thanking the Trust for their statement regarding the Montpelier Foundation. We shared a copy of our letter to Montpelier with the Trust.