The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library occupies the small building on Charles Street where Monroe operated his law practice from 1786 to 1789, between his time in the Continental Congress and his election to the US Senate. Monroe lived in Fredericksburg on and off for much of his early career, and his wife Elizabeth was from the area.
The museum holds one of the largest collections of Monroe family artifacts in the country, including furniture from the White House period, the desk at which Monroe signed the Monroe Doctrine, personal correspondence, and Elizabeth Monroe's remarkable collection of French Empire-style furniture acquired during his time as US minister to France. The collection is more intimate than the grand presidential libraries, which makes it more engaging — these are the possessions of a real household, not a carefully curated symbol.