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Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. As a guest of Mr. Jefferson, after a horse or carriage ride up the mountain, you will head up the walkway to this portico. Though Monticello is a three story house, Jefferson's clever design gives it a one story appearance. The upper portion of the windows are actually low windows in rooms of the second level. The third level is hidden behind the balustrade. With an interest in many facets of science, Jefferson checked and recorded in a book the temperature and wind direction twice a day. The weather vane atop the portico has a direction arrow that can be viewed on the portico ceiling, meaning Jefferson didn't need to step off the portico to get his meteorology information. The visitors waiting for their interior tour provide a perspective for the size of this house.