Ongoing work at Montpelier, which is being restored to look as it did during Madison's time, is helping to increase visitation at the 2,650-acre estate, said spokeswoman Peggy Seiter Vaughn.

"It's up 10 percent this year, and it was up 3 percent last year," she said. "It's because there's a lot that's new to see here."

The stucco that once covered the main house already has been stripped away, as have the 20th-century additions made by the duPonts, the last family to own Montpelier. Inside, workers are peeling back plaster, replacing floorboards and repairing crumbling brick.