Charlottesville is a town steeped in history and culture. Of the eight U.S. presidents who came from Virginia, two -- Jefferson and Monroe -- were from Charlottesville, and two more came from neighboring counties. Central Virginia was a major battlefield during the Civil and Revolutionary Wars. Thomas Jefferson, whom locals affectionately call "Mr. Jefferson," continues to cast a long shadow, particularly over local architecture. Many of Charlottesville's public buildings are made of brick and built in a Jeffersonian style, and many private homes are colonial.The culture of Charlottesville revolves around two points: the University of Virginia and the Historic Downtown Mall. Charlottesville is a major cultural center for central Virginia, and features more fine dining, shopping, and entertainment than one might expect for a town of its size. http://wikitravel.org/en/Charlottesville