A Jewish family Levy owned the Monticello estate for 89 years, longer than Thomas Jefferson did

Who preserved Monticello before the Thomas Jefferson Foundation took over in 1923?

Please note Monticello is one of a few national monuments not run by the National Park Service, but by a private foundation.

"As an early champion of religious freedom in the United States, Thomas Jefferson’s regard for and relationship with Jews has been well-documented. But the Jewish history of Jefferson’s famous Monticello home is less known.

Enter the documentary “The Levys of Monticello,” which hits streaming platforms Friday and tells the story of the Jewish family that owned the estate for 89 years — longer than Jefferson did himself.

From Menemsha Films, the documentary chronicles Uriah Phillips Levy and his nephew, Jefferson Monroe Levy, descendants of Sephardic Jews who fled Portugal during the Inquisition. The elder Levy served in the Navy and was the first Jew to achieve the rank of commodore when he fought in the War of 1812.

In 1834, Levy bought Monticello for $2,700 and, along with 20 slaves, worked to repair the house and maintain the grounds. ..."

A Jewish family owned the Monticello estate longer than Thomas Jefferson did. A documentary tells their story. - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Members of the Levy family owned Monticello for 89 years, longer than Thomas Jefferson and his descendants