VA-Z21 Albemarle County

Marker text: ALBEMARLE COUNTY

Albemarle County was formed in 1744 from Goochland County and named for William Anne Keppel, the secound Earl of Albemarle, titular governor of Virginia from 1737 to 1754. A portion of Louisa County was later added to Albemarle County. In 1761, part of Albemarle County was divided to form Buckingham and Amherst Counties. President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was born in this county at Shadwell and here he built his home Monticello. The city of Charlottesville is the county seat and the home of the University of Virginia, chartered in 1819 and opened for instruction in 1825. Jefferson designed the university and supervised its construction.

Department of Historic Resources, 2002