Montpelier’s Mystery Fence

Montpelier's Mystery Fence is filled with enigmatic symbols.

At James Madison’s Montpelier, a National Trust Historic Site in Virginia, there’s an unusual wooden fence that often goes unnoticed.  It runs along a road near the Temple that connects the mansion with the historic horse barns and stables in the valley to the north.  I’ve often admired it because its posts and rails create a varied pattern and assumed it was just a picturesque and rustic element in the landscape.

I was recently walking along the fence with Dr. Matthew Reeves, Montpelier’s archaeologist, and told him how much I enjoyed the charming design of the fence when he said it wasn’t just a design, but a message.  He claimed that Marion Dupont Scott, the last private owner of Montpelier, had the fence constructed with a hidden message.  Of course, I was intrigued, but Matt didn’t know what the message was–it was kept as a mystery by the Scott’s groundskeeper, who had recently retired.

Perhaps you can figure out what it means and decipher the symbol, but don’t ask me for the answer (but do give us all a hint so we can solve it, too!).

Montpelier mystery fence.

Montpelier’s Mystery Fence (detail)

Montpelier’s Mystery Fence (detail)

Montpelier’s Mystery Fence (detail)

Montpelier’s Mystery Fence is filled with undeciperable symbols.