 | Board of Visitors minutes November 29, 1821 |  |
At a meeting of the Visitors of the University of Virginia by
special call on Thursday the 29th. of November 1821. at the University,
two members only attending, to wit Thomas Jefferson and Chapman Johnson,
they adjourned to the next day.
November 30. present Thomas Jefferson, Chapman Johnson, James Madison
& John Hartwell Cocke.
The board being informed that of the 60,000.D. permitted to be
borrowed from the Literary fund by the act of the last General assembly,
the sum of 29,100.D. only has as yet been obtained, and that there is
uncertainty as to the time when the balance may be obtained they deem it
expedient that the annuity of 15,000.D. recievable on the 1st. of January
next be applied to the accomplishment of the buildings, & other current
purposes, in the first place, and that, should further sums be wanted
Superintendance be authorised to borrow from the banks to the amount
of that balance, to be replaced by the sd balance when recieved.
Resolved that the Superintending committee be authorised to have
an engraving made of the ground-plan of the buildings of the University
including the Library, and so many copies struck off for sale as they
shall think proper, and also to engage a good painter to draw a Perspective
view of the upper level of buildings, to be engraved, yielding
to him, for his trouble, the patent right, and paying his reasonable
expences coming, staying and returning, should it be required.
A proposition having been recieved to join with other seminaries
in a petition to Congress for a repeal of the duty on imported books,
Resolved that this board will concur in such a petition, and a form
being prepared and approved, and a form also of a letter to our Senators
and representatives in Congress requesting them to present & advocate
the sd petition, the Rector is desired to authenticate & forward
the same.
A form of a Report, as annually required to be made to the President
and Directors of the Literary fund, on the funds and condition of
the University, was then proposed, amended & agreed to in the following
words -
To the President & Directors of the Literary fund.
In obedience to the act of the General assembly of Virginia, requiring
that the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
should make report annually to the President and Directors of the Literary
fund (to be laid before the legislature at their next succeeding
session) embracing a full account of the disbursements, the funds on
the sd Rector & Visitors make the following Report.
At their meeting in April last the attention of the Visitors was
first drawn to the consideration of the act of the late General assembly
which authorised the Literary board to lend, for the use of the
University a further sum of 60,000.D. from such monies as should thereafter
come to their hands. and taking such view as could then be obtained
of the expences already incurred for the lands, buildings, and
accessory purposes for the accomodation of the Professors and Students
of the University, so far as already compleated, or in a state of advancement,
and the further expences still to be incurred necessarily
to compleat those accomodations, they concluded it to be for the benefit
of the institution to obtain the said loan. application was accordingly
made to the Literary board, a sum of 29,100.D. was obtained,
and the further sum of 30,900.D. is expected so soon as the reciepts
of that board shall enable them to furnish it.
In the mean time the board deemed it incumbent to obtain as early
as possible a correct statement of the actual cost of what was already
done, and a probable one of that still to be done, estimated according
to the experience now obtained. they therefore instructed their Proctor
to apply himself assiduously to the completion of the buildings
generally, to a settlement of all accounts of the actual cost of those
finished, and an estimate, according to that, of what would be the cost
of those still to be finished. the completion of the buildings of accomodation,
which are in 4. rows of about 600. feet in length each, as
may be seen by the plan accompanying this Report, has been pressed with
as much effect as could be expected; insomuch that there are now compleat,
and in readiness for occupation, 6. Pavilions for the accomodation
2. Hotels for their dieting; and the others will be all compleated in
the ensuing summer. the accounts for the construction of those already
finished have been actually settled; and the probable cost of the unfinished
has been estimated according to the rates which the others
have been found to cost.
The following is a summary view of the actual expenditures of the
institution from the beginning, of those yet to be incurred to it's
completion, & of the funds recieved & still recievable, as nearly as
can at present be stated.
| 6. Pavilions finished have cost | 52,713.76 | |
| 17. capitels for them expected from Italy are to cost by contract |
2,052. | |
| 2. Hotels finished have cost | 8,215.82 | |
| 82. Dormitories finished have cost | 52,997.74 | 113,927.32 |
| The following are nearly finished, & are estimated at the rates the others have cost, or at prices actually contracted for. |
||
| 4. Pavilions | 33,563.15 | |
| 4. Hotels | 16,000. | |
| 27. Dormitories | 11,952.21 | 61,515.36 |
| Backyards and gardens | 1,500. | |
| making the whole cost of the 4. rows of buildings of accomodation |
176,942.68 | |
| The purchase of 245½ acres of land & the buildings on them, past compensations to the Bursar and Proctor, hire & maintenance of laborers, & all other accessory and contingent expences |
24,607.77 | |
| making a total for the lands, buildings etc. compleat |
201,550.45 | |
| to which add for interest on the loans, calculated to Dec. 31. 1821. |
6,160.25 | |
| 207,710.70 | ||
| The funds applied and applicable to these expenditures are |
D | |
| The sale of Glebe lands | 3,104.09 | |
| A state certificate No. 32. | 176.77 | |
| Annuities of 1819. 20. 21. | 45,000. | |
| loan of 1820 | 60,000. | |
| loan of 1821 | 60,000. | |
| Subscriptions recieved to Nov. 27. 21. | 24,676.37½ | |
| Balance of subscriptions (due 19,668.91 of which suppose 3000. lost) |
16,668.95 | 209,626.18 |
| from this would result a small Surplus of |
1,915.48 | |
| 207,710.70 |
According to the Proctor's Accounts for the present year (which,
with the Bursar's are herewith inclosed, and) which contain minuter
specifications of the expenditures
| To finish and pay for the whole of the buildings of accomodation not yet finished and paid for will require a further sum to be placed at his command of |
53,494.79 | |
| The resources for this are | ||
| The balance of the loan of 21. still to be recieved |
30,900. | |
| the balance still due of subscription monies, sperate |
16,668.95 | |
| Cash in the banks undrawn as per Bursar's account |
2,301.23 | |
| do. in the Bursar's hands, as per his account |
447.84 | |
| State certificate No. 32. | 176.77 | |
| from which would result a deficit to be supplied from the annuity of |
3,000. | 53,494.79 |
So far then as can at present be seen (and we are now so near the
end of this work that there is room for little error) the funds recieved
and recievable, will, within a small fraction, pay for the lands purchased,
for the whole system of buildings of accomodation, and all accessory
expences.
The building for the library, comprehending Halls indispensably
necessary for other public purposes, and estimated by the Proctor, according
to past experience, to cost 46,847.D. will remain to be erected
from the same fund of the Annuity. the anticipations of this by loans,
for expediting the other buildings, will have weakened it by nearly one
half it's amount by the sums of interest to which it is subject; and
will consequently retard the commencement of it's applications to the
discharge of the sums borrowed by annual instalments, if such should
continue to be the will of the Legislature.
The buildings of accomodation will be finished, as before observed,
in the ensuing summer, and will constitute the whole establishment, except
that of the library. with the close of these works, the accounts
of their costs will also be closed. these will be first examined by a
committee of the Visitors that nothing may enter into them not sanctioned
of the Literary board, for the assurance of the public that the
monies have been correctly and faithfully applied. In
the course of these works, as is unavoidable perhaps generally in those
of considerable magnitude, there have occurred instances of monies paid,
not in direct furtherance of the legitimate object. the first was the
case of a contract by the Visitors of the Central College, for a Professor,
while acting for that as a private establishment, and under an
expectation of it's immediate commencement. but that institution being
afterwards merged in this of the University, and the enlargement of the
plan occasioning that of the time of it's commencement also, it became
important that that contract should be rescinded. this was done on a
just and reasonable compromise and indemnification of 1500. Dollars.
another instance was the importation of a foreign Artist, for carving
the capitels of the more difficult orders of the buildings. the few
persons in this country, capable of that work, were able to obtain elsewhere
such high prices for their skill and labor that we believed it
would be economy to procure an Artist from some country where skill is
more abundant, & labor cheaper. we did so. but on trial the stone we
had counted on in the neighborhood of the University was found totally
insusceptible of delicate work; and some from a very distant, but the
nearest other quarry known, besides a heavy expence attending it's
transportation, was extremely tedious to work, and believed not proof
against the influences of the weather. in the mean time we had enquired
and learned that the same capitels could be furnished in Italy,
and delivered in our own ports for a half, or third, of the price, in
marble, which they would have cost us here in doubtful stone. we arrested
expence of his past wages, his board and passage hither, amounting to
1390.56. these are the only instances of false expence which have occurred
within our knolege.
The two Pavilions and their adjacent Dormitories, begun & considerably
advanced by the authorities of the Central College, were contracted
for by them when all things were at their most inflated paper-prices,
and therefore have been of extraordinary cost. but all the
buildings since done on the more enlarged scale of the University have
been at prices of from 25. to 50. per cent reduction; and it is confidently
believed that, with that exception, no considerable system of
building, within the US. has been done on cheaper terms, nor more correctly,
faithfully, or solidly executed, according to the nature of the
materials used.
That the style or scale of the buildings should have met the approbation
of every individual judgment was impossible from the various
structure of various minds. whether it has satisfied the general judgment,
is not known to us. no previous expression of that was manifested,
but in the injunctions of the law to provide for the accomodation of ten
Professors, and a competent number of students; and by the subsequent
enactments, implying an approbation of the plan reported by the original
Commissioners, on the requisition of the law constituting them; which
plan was exactly that now carried into execution. we had therefore no
supplementory guide but our own judgments, which we have exercised
conscientiously, in adopting a scale and style of building believed
to be proportioned to the respectability, the means & the wants of our
country, and such as will be approved in any future condition it may
but what would remain, be respected and preserved thro' other ages. and
we fondly hope that the instruction which may flow from this institution,
kindly cherished, by advancing the minds of our youth with the growing
science of the times, and elevating the views of our citizens generally
to the practice of the social duties, and the functions of self-government,
may ensure to our country the reputation, the safety and prosperity,
and all the other blessings which experience proves to result from the
cultivation and improvement of the general mind. and, without going into
the monitory history of the antient world, in all it's quarters, and at
all it's periods, that of the soil on which we live, and of it's occupants,
indigenous & immigrant, teaches the awful lesson, that no nation
is permitted to live in ignorance with impunity.'
And the board adjourned without day.
| Board of Visitors minutes November 29, 1821 | |