History lies hidden beneath the lush turf of Montpelier, James Madison's lifelong home. Montpelier archaeologists recently discovered one long-kept secret that had not seen the light of day in nearly two centuries: portions of two pawns from James Madison's chess set, most likely the same set Madison and
Thomas Jefferson used in their many chess matches at Montpelier. The discovery provided enough detail for researchers to determine exactly what Madison's chess set looked like, and led curators to purchase an identical, authentic 18th-century ivory chess set. Visitors can now see the "new" chess set on display in the Drawing Room of Madison's home in Orange, Va.
