Virginians have reason to hope that a new “era of good feelings” has begun for Oak Hill estate in Loudoun County. This year, the General Assembly voted to acquire the estate and turn it into a state park. The iconic property was the retirement home of James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, and the last member of the founding generation to occupy the White House. Monroe inherited Oak Hill in 1808 and eventually built a mansion on the property, which also included 10 additional buildings. After the former president died in 1831, the property remained in private hands until last year. It had been controlled by the DeLashmutt family for eight decades until it was sold to The Conservation Fund for preservation in 2025. “Oak Hill has the chance to be permanently protected and open to the public, for recreation, for historic preservation, and for future generations,” Heather Richards, vice president and mid-Atlantic regional director at The Conservation Fund, said at the time her organization acquired the property. Now the work of turning the property into a public facility can begin. Brenda Hafera studies history as assistant director and research fellow in the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies. She told the Daily Signal that, as state curators transform the property into a park, they ought to “follow the model of Mount Vernon instead of Monticello or Montpelier. They should seek to comprehensively articulate the legacy and contributions of James Monroe, incorporate the story of slavery, adopt a modest tone, and adhere to primary sources.” Historic places often devolve away from celebrating the achievements of their former owners. Hafera has reviewed some of Virginia’s most important historic sites. “Monticello does not provide adequate attention to Thomas Jefferson’s political contributions, nor does it fully explain the meaning and significance of the Declaration of Independence,” she said. “Montpelier boasts no exhibits on James Madison and engages in activism and historical distortions, such as portraying the Constitution as a pro-slavery document. These concerns are not simply about the legacies of the Founding Fathers, but about the principles of the Declaration and the Constitution, and about our collective history as a people.” There is plenty to learn about Monroe, the youngest member of his generation to become president. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution and was almost killed when he was shot in the shoulder during General George Washington’s surprise attack at Trenton. After the Revolution, he served in the U.S. Senate and was twice elected governor of Virginia. As a cabinet member, he served as secretary of state and secretary of war. He is perhaps best known for his Monroe Doctrine, unveiled in 1823 during his second term. It warned European nations that the United States would protect smaller nations in the Americas and wouldn’t allow new colonization in the region. It has been invoked many times, right up to today. “We must reassert the Monroe Doctrine, work tirelessly to expunge China (and every other foreign power) from our shores, and become the masters of a hemisphere that is peaceful, prosperous, and free from the tired rivalries and conflicts of the Old World,” Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts wrote last year. The project enjoys wide bipartisan support. Then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin visited Oak Hill in 2025. “After careful consideration and, I have to say, an enormous amount of arm twisting and a site visit with Del. Geary Higgins,” he quipped, “our package of budget amendments includes language to authorize the consideration of establishing Oak Hill, the historic home of Virginia governor and fifth president of the United States James Monroe, as a state park.” Democratic Del. John McAuliff has also worked to move the project forward in the Assembly, while others have been raising funding for the project. Loudoun County put up $27 million, state and federal grants added $18 million, private donors put in $12 million, and the State Parks Acquisition and Development Fund contributed $10 million. Monroe’s presidency is remembered as the “era of good feelings,” a time with little partisan strife and great American prosperity. Hafera told the Daily Signal that, if Oak Hill’s exhibits are handled respectfully, it can “be a center of civic education that stewards the inherent value of the site and a place where families and citizens can gather, rather than an institution that engages in modern activism and provokes visitors.” That’s a goal worth working toward as Oak Hill becomes Loudoun County’s second state park. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.