Oak Hill Secured — Laying Groundwork for State Park

The Conservation Fund is pleased to announce that we’ve acquired Oak Hill, the 1,200-acre estate of President James Monroe. While there is still work to be done to protect this national treasure as Virginia’s next state park, this is a major milestone in our work to save the last privately owned home of a founding father from development.

Set within one of Virginia’s fastest-growing regions, Oak Hill’s forests, meadows, and historic structures are increasingly at risk of subdivision and development. Now, with The Conservation Fund’s acquisition, that threat has been averted.

Oak Hill stands as a living monument to early American history. It was here that Monroe penned the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, shaping the nation’s foreign policy for generations to come. But Oak Hill’s story reaches far beyond its presidential legacy. The land holds the untold histories of enslaved Black and Indigenous peoples who lived and labored here, as well as early examples of mechanized agriculture — all part of the complex story of America’s growth.

As a future state park, Oak Hill would provide more than three million Virginians within 30 miles a place to explore — through hiking, equestrian trails, and heritage tourism — and to connect with the landscapes that shaped our nation’s past.

“Securing Oak Hill is an incredible victory for the people of Virginia, but our work is far from done,” says Heather Richards, vice president and mid-Atlantic regional director at The Conservation Fund. “We need the support of the people of Virginia and that of our elected leaders in Richmond, including the new Governor and the General Assembly, to approve the creation of a new state park at Oak Hill.”

The Conservation Fund will now work with the Commonwealth of Virginia to establish Oak Hill as a new state park under public ownership — a decision expected to be considered by the Governor and General Assembly in early 2026.

Please stay tuned early next year for an opportunity to make your voice heard in support of Oak Hill State Park. The Conservation Fund is continuing to raise private support to help open Oak Hill to the public, creating a new space for reflection, recreation, and learning in Northern Virginia.

This acquisition was made possible with support from Loudoun County, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation.