Hidden Room at Jefferson's Monticello Believed to be Sally's

Recently a room was found at Monticello during a construction project undertaken to return the floor plan of the historic home back to how it was while Thomas Jefferson lived there.  As workers ripped out a men's bathroom, they revealed a windowless room, roughly 18'x14', with fireplace and the original floor from early 1800's.  While this area of the house was the house slave's quarters, this room in particular is now being attributed as belonging to Sally Hemings, Jefferson's "concubine", who he supposedly fathered 6 children with...  even during his Presidency, Jefferson's affair with Sally was no secret... 



As more artifacts are uncovered, it will be interesting to see whether there is any concrete evidence as to whether Sally actually lived here with her children... already the press has called the installation of a men's bathroom over Sally's room to be "the final insult to her memory".  It will be interesting if it turns out that this room will somehow be positively identified as Sally's - or if it is just another room in the slave quarters.  Monticello seems to be making the most of the publicity surrounding a rather touchy, complicated subject...

The newly revealed room



Smithsonian Magazine - Sally Heming's Room


NBC News : Historians Uncover Sally Heming's Room


Monticello's Website : Sally Hemings