▁estate ▁of ▁James ▁Mon roe , ▁fifth ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁P urch ased ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 3 , ▁Mon roe ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁perman ently ▁settled ▁on ▁the ▁property ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 9 ▁and ▁lived ▁at ▁High land ▁for ▁twenty - five ▁years . ▁ ▁Personal ▁deb t ▁forced ▁Mon roe ▁to ▁sell ▁the ▁plant ation ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 5 . ▁Before ▁and ▁after ▁s elling ▁High land , ▁Mon roe ▁spent ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁time ▁living ▁at ▁the ▁plant ation ▁house ▁at ▁his ▁large ▁Oak ▁Hill ▁estate ▁near ▁Le es burg , ▁Virginia . ▁ ▁Mon roe ▁named ▁his ▁Char l ott es ville ▁home ▁" High land ". ▁ ▁For ▁many ▁years ▁after ▁Mon roe ' s ▁death ▁until ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁the ▁house ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁Ash ▁La wn - High land ▁or ▁merely ▁Ash ▁La wn . ▁ ▁The ▁estate ▁is ▁now ▁owned , ▁operated ▁and ▁maintained ▁by ▁Mon roe ' s ▁al ma ▁mater , ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁William ▁& ▁Mary . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Mon roe ▁establish es ▁High land ▁Enc ou rag ed ▁by ▁his ▁close ▁friend , ▁Thomas ▁Jefferson , ▁Mon roe ▁purchased ▁a ▁de ed ▁for ▁one ▁thousand ▁acres ▁( 4   km ² ) ▁of ▁land ▁adjacent ▁to ▁Mont ic ello ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 3 ▁for ▁an ▁equal ▁number ▁of ▁pounds ▁from ▁the ▁Carter ▁family . ▁ ▁The ▁land ▁formerly ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁B len