True, the Founding Fathers gave us the Constitution–but what’s really cool are the houses they left behind.

As we approach our homes with our endless to-do lists, it’s easy to imagine that we’re the only ones who have ever had problems getting things in order. Surely George Washington, of all people, never had to deal with a wet basement, right?

Wrong. Mount Vernon flooded constantly, and correcting the problem vexed the Commander in Chief even as he was off ridding the Colonies of the Redcoats. In fact, many of the Founding Fathers—that august group that won a war and penned the Constitution—left behind monumental homes imprinted with their virtues, as well as their quirks. Here’s a quick tour of three Virginia mansions, to give you an insight into housing problems then and now.

Mount Vernon. Washington really did sleep here, of course, and as a result this palace on the Potomac probably ties with the White House as the best-known home in America. And talk about distinctive! What other place, short of a Howard Johnson’s, makes such effective use of both dormers and cupolas, not to mention that two-story back porch? Mount Vernon was Washington’s childhood home, after which he spent the rest of his adult life renovating, re-renovating, and renovating again, right up until he died. “If Washington were not a better general than he was an architect,” sniffed Baron von Steuben after taking a tour of the place, “the affairs of America would be in very bad condition.”

Monticello. Unlike Washington, Thomas Jefferson never suffered any complaints about his skills as an architect. Modeled in part on the ancient Pantheon in Rome, Monticello exhibits more gadgetry than a Sharper Image catalogue. Jefferson invented the dumbwaiter, for instance, to haul food into the dining room and wine bottles up from the cellar. In his closet, he designed a rotating rack for displaying and choosing his clothes, and he may even lay claim to having built the world’s first swivel chair. Beyond this, Monticello was one of the earliest homes in America to employ skylights (there are 13 in all), and was also one of the first to feature indoor privies. All this proved attractive to his friends, which created a problem all it’s own for Jefferson. Overrun with houseguests, he was forced to build the more remote Poplar Hill in order to have a little time to himself!

Montpelier. While not as well known as Mount Vernon and Monticello, this brick palace is every bit as beautiful, especially now that it is in the midst of a massive renovation. Montpelier was the home of James and Dolley Madison, and was built by Madison’s father in the Classical and Federal styles. Madison himself re-built it by adding a 30-foot addition and a second front door, which turned it into a duplex of sorts. Later, he removed one of the doorways and added two new wings, before calling it a day. This was a couple that loved their home. James conducted his affairs of state from here; for her part, the ebullient Dolley served as hostess, where she began taking snuff, and wearing bright clothing and turbans adorned with jewelry or feathers.

Wise in so many ways, the Founding Fathers knew their characters were inseparable from the homes they lived in. They added to them, altered the styles with abandon, and worked to create distinctive places that suited their personalities, and the needs of their families.

These three mansions remind us that a home, no matter how humble, is more than just a bit of real estate. Instead, it’s a place that shapes us–every bit as much as we shape it.

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