Thomas Jefferson Foundation Installs Marioff HI-FOG® Water Mist
Fire Suppression System to Protect Monticello for Future
Generations
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.,
Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/
-- The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello has installed
a Marioff HI-FOG® water mist fire suppression system as part of its
ongoing efforts to protect Jefferson's iconic home. The Foundation
was incorporated in 1923 to restore and preserve Monticello.
Marioff, part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit
of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), is a leading provider of
water mist fire protection technology and supplier of system
solutions worldwide.
During his lifetime Thomas
Jefferson was no stranger to the devastation of fire.
On February 1, 1770,
Jefferson's boyhood home, Shadwell, was destroyed by fire. As
Jefferson wrote to his friend John
Page, he lamented the loss "of every paper I had in the
world, and almost every book. On a reasonable estimate I calculate
the cost of the books burned to have been £200.
sterling."
Another house was built on the property, but Jefferson never
again lived at Shadwell. He instead concentrated his efforts on
Monticello. A self-taught architect, Jefferson referred to
Monticello as his "essay in architecture," and construction
continued on the mountaintop for 40 years. The final product is a
unique blend of beauty and function that combines the best elements
of the ancient and old worlds with a fresh American
perspective.
In 1787, Thomas Jefferson wrote
to George Gilmer, "I am as happy
no where else and in no other society, and all my wishes end, where
I hope my days will end, at Monticello. Too many scenes of
happiness mingle themselves with all the recollections of my native
woods and fields to suffer them to be supplanted in my affection by
any other."
Monticello is the only U.S. presidential and private home on the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) World Heritage List, selected along with the University of Virginia. The World Heritage
Convention stated that the sites "represent a masterpiece of human
creative genius" and "exhibit an important interchange of human
values." Over the past 89 years, the Foundation has restored
the house, returned many of the original furnishings and
collections, and hosted more than 27 million visitors from around
the world.
As part of its ongoing mission of preservation and education,
the Foundation recently updated Monticello's fire suppression
system. They had determined that the prior system, although
diligently maintained, upgraded and evaluated had reached the end
of its reasonable lifespan. The Foundation collaborated with
Marioff to upgrade the conventional sprinkler system to a HI-FOG
water mist fire suppression system, which was commissioned in
April.
The HI-FOG system provides more effective protection in terms of
containing fires and is far less damaging to art and artifacts.
Sensitive to the environment, the system uses up to 90 percent less
water than a conventional sprinkler system and uses smaller, less
obtrusive, stainless steel pipes to enhance aesthetics and offers
an additional benefit of being rated for a longer service
period.
The Monticello house and its visitors are now protected from
fire while the historical artifacts inside are protected from the
water damage caused by conventional sprinklers. A
HI-FOG gas pump unit (GPU) serves as the central component of a
self-contained system that does not need external power for
operation and comes equipped with its own water source.
Small water tanks containing potable water coupled with
compressed gas cylinders used to power the system are hidden within
Monticello and custom painted, precision machined sprinkler heads
are discretely deployed in each room.
Marioff's HI-FOG system has been used to protect a wide variety
of cultural heritage buildings including Garrett Hall at the University of Virginia. The system has also been
used to preserve presidential sites for future generations
including three other U.S. presidential homes.
"Monticello is an architectural treasure, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, and a symbol of Jefferson's enlightenment ideals.
Upgrading this fire suppression system is just another way to
protect Monticello for future generations," said Leslie Greene Bowman, president and CEO of the
Thomas Jefferson Foundation.
"Marioff is honored to be entrusted with protecting Monticello,
a prestigious National Historic Landmark," said James McGuinness, director, marketing, Marioff
North America. "The benefits of the HI-FOG system — low
water usage, compact components and long system lifetime— provide a
sustainable solution for this cultural heritage treasure."
Funding for the cost of the new fire protection system was made
possible by the support of the Roller-Bottimore Foundation, the
Thomas F. Jeffress Memorial Trust,
and individual donors.
Images of Monticello:
- Monticello Entrance Hall: © Thomas Jefferson Foundation at
Monticello, photograph by Robert
Lautman
- Monticello Cabinet: © Thomas Jefferson Foundation at
Monticello, photograph by Robert C.
Lautman
- Monticello West Front: © Thomas Jefferson Foundation at
Monticello, photograph by Mary
Porter
About Monticello
Thomas Jefferson Foundation was incorporated in 1923 to preserve
Monticello, the home of Thomas
Jefferson in Charlottesville,
Virginia. Monticello is now recognized as a National
Historic Landmark and a United Nations World Heritage Site. As a
private, nonprofit organization, the Foundation receives no regular
federal or state budget support for its twofold mission of
preservation and education. About 440,000 people visit
Monticello each year. For information, visit
www.monticello.org.
About Marioff
Marioff is the leading developer of water mist fire protection
technology and supplies system solutions worldwide and is a part of
UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies
Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems
industries worldwide. More information about Marioff is
available at www.marioff.com.
SOURCE Marioff