University of Virginia Library

Thomas Jefferson to James Breckenridge,
Robert B. Taylor, James Madison, & Chapman Johnson

Proposing within a few days to set out for Bedford, I think it a duty previously to state to
you the progress and prospect of things at the University. You may perhaps remember that
almost in the moment of our separation at the last meeting one of our colleagues proposed a
change of a part of the plan of the grounds,[834] so as to place the gardens of the Professors
adjacent to the rear of their pavilions. the first aspect of the proposition presented to me a
difficulty, which I then thought insuperable to wit, that of the approach of carriages,
wood-carts Etc. to the back of the buildings. mr Cabell's desire however appeared so strong,
and the object of it so proper, that, after separation, I undertook to examine & try whether it
could not be accomplished; and was happy to find it practicable, by a change which was
approved by Genl. Cocke, and since by mr Cabell who has been lately with me.[835] I think
it a real improvement, and the greater, as by throwing the Hotels and additional dormitories
on a back street, it forms in fact the commencement of a regular town, capable of being
enlarged to any extent which future circumstances may call for.

My colleague of the Committee of superintendance proposed another change, to wit, that the
Hotels and dormitories should be united in massive buildings of 2. or 3. stories high, on the
back street. had my judgment concurred in this alteration, I should not have thought
ourselves competent to it, as a committee of superintendance. the separation of the students
in different and unconnected rooms, by two's and two's, seems a fundamental of the plan. it
was adopted by the first visitors of the Central college, stated by them in their original report
to the Governor as their patron, and by him laid before the legislature; it was approved and
reported by the Commissioners of Rockfish gap to the legislature; of their opinion indeed we
have no other evidence than their acting on it without directing a change. not thinking
therefore that the committee was competent to this change, I concurred in suspending the
building of any Hotel until the visitors should have an opportunity of considering the
subject, and, instead of building one or two Hotels, as they had directed, we concluded to
begin the Eastern range of pavilions, all agreeing that the ranges on each side of the lawn
should be finished as begun. we thought too that the Visitors would not disapprove of this
departure from their instructions, as these pavilions can be used for Hotels until wanting for
the Professors.

We have adopted another measure however, without their sanction, because it is in fact a
fuller execution of the principles expressed and acted on at their meeting: and we are
confident they would have adopted it had it then occurred. their idea was to push the
buildings to the extent of all the funds we could command. altho' we had recieved the
opinion of the Treasurer and literary board that we might command at any moment the
whole donation for this year, yet it seems not to have occurred to any of us at the time, that
we might do the same the next year, and consequently draw it's 15,000. D. on the 1st. day of
January next. the thought occurring afterwards, we have not hesitated to act on it; & we are
proceeding to have 3. pavilions erected on the Eastern range, with their appurtenant
dormitories, in addition to the 4. built, or to be built on the Western range; so that we may
have 7. pavilions, with their dormitories, in progress this year, to be finished the next.

Our principle being to employ the whole of our funds on the buildings, I thought it so
important to be preparing subjects for the University, by the time that should open, that I
invited a mr Stack, a teacher of Latin & Greek of high recommendations, to come and set up
a school in Charlottesville on his own account. he has done so, and answers my best
expectations, by a style of instruction, critical and solid, beyond any example I have ever
known in this state, or indeed in the US. he recieved his education at Trinity college, Dublin,
& appears to be a correct, modest and estimable man. he teaches French also: and to give an
opportunity to the students of acquiring the habit of speaking that language, we have got
Laporte and his family from the Calfpasture to establish a boarding house where, nothing
but French being permitted to be spoken, his boarders begin already to ask for all their
wants in that language, and to learn the ordinary phrases of familiar conversation. Mr. Stack
has as yet but 14. or 15. pupils and Laporte 9. boarders; but as soon as the present sessions
in the schools of the state generally are ended and the youths liberated from their present
engagements, we have reason to believe more will be offered than can be recieved; and in
this way I think we may have from 50. to 100. subjects fully prepared to attend the scientific
professors the moment the University opens. I have recieved from London the offer of a
Professor of modern languages, of qualifications literary and moral, so high as to merit our
suffrage, if we can get over the difficulty that, French being the most important of the
modern languages, mr Blatterman is not a native of France. mr Ticknor declines coming to
us, I shall again try mr Bowditch, with some additional, but with not much final hope. we
have the offer of a botanist of distinguished science, a mr Nuttal, but whether a native or not
is not said. Dr. Cooper, his wife and family have certainly, and strongly set their minds
towards us. the minerals of his collection have been selected, valued and packed to come on
at the time prescribed.[836]

I had begun to despair of our two Italian sculptors, and enquired therefore of a mr Cardelli
from Washington whether such as could carve an Ionic or Corinthian capitel could be had
from that place. he informed me that they could, at 3. D. a day. luckily the two Italians
arrived some days ago after a sea-passage of 90. days. they will cost us, passage and board
included, about 2. D. a day, and are men of quite superior character. I was just setting off for
Bedford to stay there 2. months; but have deferred my departure till mr Brockenbrough can
arrive here, in order to see them fixed and put under way, that the stone might be quarried,
and roughed out for them, so that they should be employed on difficult work only.[837]

Our works have gone on miserably slow. not a brick is yet laid. they are now however
prepared to begin laying the Western pavilion No. 1. our advertisement for workmen could
not be put into the papers until after the meeting of the visitors at the close of March. the
offers from the Undertakers of our own state were from 25. to 40. p.c. on the Philadelphia
printed prices. we at length got an offer from Philadelphia at 15. p.c. below the printed
prices, & learnt the fact that when work abounds there the workmen are able to raise prices
10. or 15. p.c. above these, and when work is scarce the employers are able to beat them
down to 10. or 15. below the printed prices; which however, if continued, soon breaks them.
we did not think it either our duty or interest to break our workmen, and considering the
printed as the fair living prices, we agreed to give them. an undertaker came on to see the
extent of the work we had to do. this brought our own people down to the same prices; so
we assigned to them the completion of the Western range, and to the Philadelphians the
Eastern.[838] these, 20 in number arrived at Richmond some days ago and are expected here
this day. we shall now have about 100. hands at work.[839] I am in hopes the convenience of
talking over, and settling our business here at our leisure, will be an inducement to you to
make this your head quarters at our next meeting in addition to the gratification it will be to
me to have you here, and I salute you with great friendship & respect.

Th: Jefferson

ALS, addressed to James Breckenridge, ViU:TJ, 4p [1715]; ALS, addressed to James
Madison, DLC:JM; polygraph copy, addressed to Breckenridge, Robert B. Taylor, and
Champman Johnson, DLC:TJ; polygraph copy, addressed to Madison, DLC:TJ; printed
(extract), O'Neal, "Michele and Giacomo Raggi at the University of Virginia," Magazine of
Albemarle County History, 18:16-17; transcript (extract), #00-15 in Lasala, "Thomas
Jefferson's Designs for the University of Virginia." The word in angle brackets is mutilated
on the ALS addressed to Breckenridge, but clear on the polygraph copy addressed to Taylor,
Breckenridge, and Johnson. On that copy the second postscript was inserted within square
brackets by TJ after the copy was finished with the notation "P.S. added to Genl.
Breckenridge only." The second polygraph copy does not contain either postcript. See the
notes below for other major variations between the texts.