 For many years after Monroe's death until 2016, the house was known as Ash Lawn-Highland or merely Ash Lawn.The estate is now owned, operated and maintained by Monroe's "alma mater", the College of William & Mary.Encouraged by his close friend, Thomas Jefferson, Monroe purchased a deed for one thousand acres (4 km²) of land adjacent to Monticello in 1793 for an equal number of pounds from the Carter family.