Monticello, located just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, was the primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. Jefferson began construction of the plantation and its main house at age 26, and continued work for the remainder of his life, incorporating a wide variety of techniques and styles. The home and plantation were built and cultivated using slave labor. It is now owned by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which operates it as a house museum and educational institution, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site.Photograph: Martin Falbisoner