University of Virginia Library

Library Considered

Chapman Johnson and James Breckenridge, two of the three members of the General
Assembly who served on the Board of Visitors, wrote General Cocke on 5 April to explain
the stipulation the visitors placed on the committee of superintendence when passing the
resolution to go forward with the library (see appendix K). Simply put, Johnson and
Breckenridge were dissatisfied with the estimates presented by the rector and proctor to
finish the buildings. The estimates "dealt in generals," they said, and lacked the "details
necessary to give confidence in their accuracy," especially when considered against the fact
that as of yet no single building had been finished. Even though Jefferson and Madison "felt
great confidence in the correctness of the estimates, and . . . were willing to act immediately
upon their faith," the two senators could not ascertain the "true state of our funds" and thus
forced the board to consider postponing all contracts for the library until its fall meeting.
The senators' concern arose from their knowledge that the legislature "clearly" believed that
the university would not seek any more aid in erecting the buildings, and that any future
requests would be detrimental as well as fruitless. In the end the majority of the board,
"acting under the old prudential maxim ibis in medio tutissimus,"[470] concurred in a
resolution authorizing the committee of superintendence to proceed with the library only
after minutely examining the accounts and "fully" satisfying itself that the funds were
adequate to finish the buildings already begun and on the western range, and to "put up the
[library] walls cover it in, & render it secure and fit for use—in which security and fitness
for use, are contemplated at least doors, windows, floors, and stair cases."

At Jefferson's insistence, Johnson and Breckenridge visited the proctor after the meeting to
impress upon Brockenbrough the necessities of preparing the accounts for examination,
settling with the workmen for work already finished, and making accurate estimates for the
work still uncompleted. "Our conversations with him lead us to fear, that he had not been
very particular in that department of his duty which relates to the accounts," and the senators
own "rough calculations," they said, made them fear that after finishing the "four ranges of
buildings, making the garden walls, privies &c. . . . scarcely a dollar [would be] left for the
library." The two visitors, considering it their duty to communicate to Cocke what they had
done, and what "we think most desirable to be done on the occasion," expressed their intent
not to face the legislature again "with contracts unfilled, with foundations not built upon,
with naked walls or useless walls, demanding to be protected or threatening to perish, or be
a monument of our want of foresight and our unprofitable expenditure of public money."
The General Assembly would manifest an ill temper towards the university if any material
blunder was made in engaging the work; it would be better to lose a season in building the
library than encounter the serious risk of "entering into contracts for it, which we may be
unable to fulfil."[471]

Jefferson was much more optimistic. The $60,000 loan, he informed his grandson Frances
Wayles Eppes a few days later, "enables us to finish all our building of accomodation this
year, and to begin The Library, which will take 3. years to be compleated."[472] He told John
Vaughan of Philadelphia that the buildings for accommodation of the professors and
students "will indeed be compleated in no great time." Moreover, he presumed that the
legislature would cancel the university's $120,000 debt when those buildings were
completed, leaving the university's funds free to open the institution, "but that is too
uncertain to act on with confidence."[473] On 9 April Jefferson sent Cocke a copy of the
Board of Visitors' proceedings, saying that he had spoken to the bursar about ordering the
capitals for the pavilions from Leghorn and that Brockenbrough already was engaged in
settling his accounts "in such form as will give us the necessary information, and let us see
exactly the ground on which we stand. . . . he does not know whether this will take him a
fortnight, or a month, or 6. months. but as soon as it is accomplished I will write to you,
because our immediate meeting will be necessary—it is wished that the walls of the Library
of a million of bricks may be got up this season."[474] A week later Jefferson placed the
order for 10 Ionic and 6 Corinthian capitals and 2 Corinthian half-capitals for the pavilions
and informed Consul Thomas Appleton that the university "shall have occasion the next
year for 10. Corinthian capitels . . . to be copied from those of the Rotunda or Pantheon of
Rome, as represented in Palladio. be so good as to inform me what will be their exact cost."
He added that Michele Raggi "wishes to be employed at Carrara on our capitals; but this
must be as you please. if it should suit you, I shall be glad of it, because he is a good man
and a good workman, but very hypocondriac."[475] (Appleton replied to Jefferson on 7 July,
writing that the capitals for the Rotunda would cost about $7,600, plus shipping.)[476] By
mid-May the buildings were now "giving on with great spirit," Jefferson informed John
Patterson (who had subscribed to the Central College for $500), the library "will be begun,
soon . . . come and see our university and chuse a lot in time for yourself to live on."[477]