University of Virginia Library

At a meeting of the Visitors of the Central College held at
Charlottesville on the 5th day of May 1817. on a call by three members,
to wit, John Hartwell Cocke, Joseph C. Cabell & Th Jefferson,
present James Monroe, James Madison, John H. Cocke, and Th Jefferson

The records of the trustees of the Albemarle academy, in lieu
of which the Central College is established, were received from their
Secretary by the hands of Alexr Garrett one of the sd trustees, Resolved
that Valentine W. Southall be appointed Secretary to the board,
and, that the sd records be delivered to him.

The board proceeded to the appointment of a Proctor, and the said
Alexander Garrett was appointed, with a request that he will act as
Treasurer also until a special appointment can be made.

The board being informed that at a meeting which had been proposed
for the 8th day of April last at Charlottesville and at which
the three members only who called this present meeting had attended,
the sd members had visited & examined the different sites for the
college within a convenient distance around Charlottesville had deemed
the one offered them by John Perry about a mile above the town, to be
the most suitable, and offered on the most reasonable terms, and had
provisionally authorised a purchase of certain parcels thereof for
the site of the sd college & it's appendages, and the members now
present having themselves proceeded to the sd grounds, examined them,
and considered the terms of the sd provisional purchase, do now approve
of the sd grounds as a site for the sd college & it's appendages
and of the terms of purchase, which they hereby re-afirm & ratify, and
they accordingly authorise their Proctor above named to proceed to a

regular conveyance thereof to himself & his successors in trust for
the sd College.

The act establishing the Central college having transferred to
the same all the rights and claims existing in the Albemarle academy
& it's trustees, and having in aid of the subscriptions & donations
obtained or to be obtained & of the proceeds of the lottery authorised
by law specially empowered this college by it's proper officers to
demand and recieve the monies which arose from the sales of the Glebe
lands of the parishes of Saint Ann & Fredericksville, or such part
thereof as belongs to the county of Albemarle or it's citisens, in
whatever hands they may be, to be employed for the purposes of this
college, Ordered that the Proctor enquire into the state of the said
property & report the same to this board; and that in the mean time
he be authorised to demand and recieve so much of the said monies as
may be requisite to pay for the lands purchased from the sd John
Perry, and to make payment accordingly.

On view of a plan presented to the trustees of the Albemarle
academy for erecting a distinct pavilion or building for each separate
professorship, and for arranging these around a square, each
pavilion containing a schoolroom & two apartments for the accomodation
of the Professor with other reasonable conveniences the board
determines that one of those pavilions shall now be erected; and they
request the Proctor, so soon as the funds are at his command to agree
with proper workmen for the building of one, of stone or brick below
ground, & of brick above, of substantial work, of regular architecture,
well executed, and to be compleated if possible during the ensuing

summer & winter: that the lot for the sd pavilions be delineated on
the ground of the breadth of    feet with two parallel sides of indefinite
length, and that the pavilion first to be erected be placed
on one of the lines so delineated, with it's floor in such degree of
elevation from the ground as may correspond with the regular inclined
plane to which it may admit of being reduced hereafter.

And it is further resolved that so far as the funds may admit,
the Proctor be requested to proceed to the erection of dormitories
for the students adjacent to the said pavilion, not exceeding ten on
each side, of brick, & of regular architecture according to the same
plan proposed.

The board proceeding to consider the plan of a lottery prepared
by the trustees of the Albemarle academy approve of the same, and resolve
that it be carried into execution and without delay by the Proctor
and by such agents as he shall appoint, and that the monies to be
recieved for tickets by those entrusted with the sale of them, be from
time to time & at short periods paid into the hands of the proctor and
by him deposited in the bank of Virginia in Richmond, with which bank
it is thought expedient that an account should be opened with him in
trust for the Central College.

Resolved that a subscription paper be prepared, and placed in
such hands as the Proctor shall deem will be most likely to promote
it with energy and success in which shall be different columns, to
wit one for those who may prefer giving a donation in gross, another
for those who may be willing to give a certain sum annually for the
term of four years; and a third for donations in any other form; and
that the monies subscribed be disposed of as they are recieved by the

Proctor, in the manner above prescribed for those received on the lottery.

Resolved that Thomas Jefferson and John H. Cocke be a Committee on
the part of the Visitors with authority jointly or severally to advise and
sanction all plans and the application of monies for executing them, which
may be within the purview and functions of the Proctor for the time being.