Alfred Vernon Scott I and Montpelier

William H. McFarland sold Montpelier to Col. Alfred Vernon Scott (d. 1860) by deed on March 21, 1855. Scott, his wife Rebecca Ballard Nixon, and their children moved to Montpelier from Alabama. Again, the tenure of these residents was brief, and by August 1, 1857, the property had been sold to Thomas J. Carson and the Scott family moved to Washington, D.C.

Site: http://www.montpelier.org/research-and-collections/people/montpelier-owners

This would have been just after the painting of AVSI by Charles Bird King
Site: http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=record_ID:siris_ari_221397

MacFarland owned Montpelier only in 1854-5 but this time is noteworthy.  Charles Thomas Chapman, research coordinator at Montpelier, brought MacFarland’s year to light as part of his master’s thesis, Who was Buried in James Madison’s Grave?: A Study in Contextual Analysis.  Chapman illuminates a motive of MacFarland to own Montpelier; he wanted to own Madison’s remains.  MacFarland was a fan of Madison (he gave Madison’s eulogy in 1836), but professional ties were perhaps a great influence on the decision too.  MacFarland was a trustee and a member of the board of directors of Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA.  Hollywood Cemetery wanted to acquire the remains of the three Virginian presidents (Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe).  The cemetery was able to acquire Monroe’s remains but Jefferson and Madison were still missing from their collection.  Because of the nature of the deed, MacFarland believed that by owning Montpelier he also owned the Madison family cemetery and Madison’s remains and could give the remains to Hollywood Cemetery.  So, on January 4th, 1854 MacFarland purchased Montpelier from Benjamin Thornton.  Hollywood Cemetery was not able to obtain the president’s remains and MacFarland sold the house on March 21st, 1855 to Col. Alfred Vernon Scott of Alabama.  Hollywood Cemetery settled for helping build an obelisk monument for Madison’s grave which was at the time unmarked, fulfilling the wish of the local people to have Madison’s grave marked.

Site: http://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/blog/?m=201008