University of Virginia Library

Jefferson's Summary of Finances

Jefferson summarized the foregoing statement at the end of November for Senator Cabell to
use "in conversations, to rebut exaggerated estimates of what our institution is to cost, and
reproaches of deceptive estimates." According to the best estimates of the university bursar,
proctor, and rector, all the lands, buildings, and "other expenditures" for the University of
Virginia could be expected to cost $162,364, exclusive of the library and an observatory.
That included the original estimate of 10 pavilions for the professors' accommodation
($60,000), 6 hotels for dieting the students ($21,000), 104 dormitories ($36,400), 200 acres
of land with additional buildings ($10,000), and contingencies such as leveling the grounds
and streets, laying the water pipes, covering roofs with tin instead of shingles, and
"numerous other" contingencies ($10,000), plus the actual cost above the estimates of about
18 percent ($24,964). An observatory could be built, Jefferson thought, for $10,000 to
$12,000 and the "Library House" for $40,000 more, thus pushing up the estimate for the
entire group of buildings to $214,364.[428] Jefferson told Senator Cabell that "not an office
at Washington has cost less" than the $162,364 figure, and the "single building of the Court
house of Henrico has cost nearly that: and the massive walls of the millions of bricks of
Wm. & Mary could not be now built for a greater sum."[429] His letter to Cabell containing
the statement and defense of the probable costs of the buildings also contained an
impassioned argument for a whole scheme of public education for his beloved Virginia, but
Cabell and other university supporters in the General Assembly thought its promotion might
work against the university's best interest. "Our object is now," wrote Senator Cabell, "to
finish the buildings."[430]