Talahi Island
Savannah, GA
montimello@gmail.com
'IT would take a lot of this to kill you...'
Your Custom Text Here
Your Custom Text Here
Our home was designed by renowned Savannah architect John Deering of Homeline architecture.
It is inspired by drawings Thomas Jefferson gave to William Madison, a brother of James Madison. The original house at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia has served as the headmaster's residence and, over time, has been altered. But the simple, Palladian approach of three rooms to the left and two rooms to the right remain visible and we have incorporated this into Montimello.
Our version has such modern amenities as a kitchen (which often was a separate building in Jefferson's day) and bathrooms!
Thomas Jefferson designed this compact plantation house for William Madison, who was James Madison's brother, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. It was built in 1793 as seven-room house in a geometric configuration that was the hallmark of Jefferson's residential design. The original unacademic two-column portico suggests, however, that Jefferson's plan was not fully executed.
In 1870 the property was purchased by Robert Stringfellow Walker, who remodeled the house in 1884. It was here that Walker founded Woodberry Forest School in 1889, naming it after the Madison plantation. The house was renamed the Residence and became the headmaster’s house. Walker hired a tutor to educate his six sons and neighboring children. The first classes were taught in a room of The Residence. Additions made in 1884 changed the effect from Palladian to Victorian. Other renovations in 1948 created a large drawing room by eliminating partitions between three rooms, one of which was used as a back porch by the Madison family.
The Residence is located within the Woodberry Forest School, in Woodberry Forest and is the private residence of the headmaster.
The Western facing placement of our home by John Deering gives us amazing views of the sunsets over Turner's Creek. The ever-changing marsh, combined with the liquid skies, provide breathtaking views all year 'round.
January 2018
I
November 2017
Sept. 11, 2017
August 31, 2017
Aug. 21, 2017
Aug. 20, 2017
May 6, 2017
March 8, 2017
January 14, 2017
January 2007
Sunset on the winter solstice, 2014
A tradition in the making ... the girls' friends came over for S'mores and to keep us up to date on all their adventures!
The last sunset of the year
Living along Turner's Creek is a constant reminder of how active the natural world is. With an 8-9 foot tide, the marsh in front of our house is never the same.
-------------------------------------------------
Blue Heron; White Egret
When the Gulf Coast White Pelican meets the Atlantic Brown Pelican.
Seems harmless, right? Even pretty ...
Well, try taking this on ...
Holidays are a big deal at Montimello, whether it is April 13 (Thomas Jefferson's birthday), St. Joan d'Arc Day (Jan. 6) or the usual suspects, such as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Kim's Day (Oct. 8)! Doesn't everyone celebrate Kim's Day??
Ghali gets into the holiday spirit, whether she wants to or not!
Kim and her niece Hayden go for a stroll in downtown Savannah!
In contrast to the classic line from Finding Nemo, we want you to "touch the boat." With our beloved boat, the Mark III, we spend hours watching dolphins, chasing sunsets and keeping cool on the wonderful waterways around Savannah. We also enjoy kayaking, crabbing and fishing off the dock with our nieces and nephews who head south for Camp Kimmy. Hope to be expert shrimpers soon but can't seem to get the hang of casting the shrimp net!
Kim and I are so lucky to have a home that is so welcoming. We love having people come and enjoy the Marsh, the Creek and all that goes with living 8 minutes from the Historic District and 8 minutes from the Redneck Riviera. So pack it up and plan a visit!
Andreas and Anna-Karin visited Montimello in May 2015; his American mom, Patt Suwyn flew up from Bonita to see him.
Gracie was with us for almost 14 years and we were lucky to have her as a part of our family even though most of you never clapped eyes on her.
Dan, left, and Andreas, right middle, were AFS brothers in 1981.
Kim and Anna-Karin just met.
But we all got along like wildfire. A fantastic time with friends we felt like we've known forever!
Before we found this beautiful site and built Montimello, the property had been the home of an amazing Master Gardener for many decades. Working with John Deering, we placed the house on the lot to preserve the two 500 ft. running hedges of mature azaleas and over a dozen unique camellia bushes. These plants are well over 30 years old and continue to bring us much pleasure. We are also blessed to have a grove of hardwood trees, mostly hickory and oak. Although we had to remove some of the mature trees to build the house, we have planted over a dozen new trees, including our new live oak that Kim received as a 50th birthday present from her parents. Kim has also used her own Master Gardener training to establish perennial beds throughout the property including almost 50 daylilies from Joiner Farms.
We love to entertain and have hosted some wonderful gatherings at Montimello to celebrate both our friends and the mission of organizations we hold dear. We have toasted recent graduates and honored beloved authors. We have marked big birthdays and welcomed faraway friends. We even acted as a corporate retreat. We have two weddings coming in the next year that will be a true celebration of our family and home.
May 15, 2015
The last RapidChange Group board meeting, Spring 2013
Paul Taylor cooks up a storm at the UGA engineering party
We may live far from each other but we are close in our hearts.
Now we’re beginning the next generation
