University of Virginia Library

Library Begun

The work on the Rotunda began even before the Board of Visitors' meeting of 7 April. "We
had a pleasant meeting," Cabell informed General Cocke's wife the next day, "and the
Rotunda goes on, and Mr. Jefferson is delighted. The buildings appear more & more
beautiful every time I see them."[573] Cabell and fellow visitor and legislator George Loyall
met together after the meeting to plot some changes to the "plan & interior distribution of
the Library House. The two especially wanted to have at least one of the Rotunda's two
large oval rooms "fitted up with seats runing around the rooms parallel to the walls & rising
one above another, so that the Lecturer's eye & voice would distinctly reach the eye & ear of
every student present." Rather than directly attempting to "interfere too much with Mr.
Jefferson's architectural views," the schemers requested James Madison to approach the
rector about "this modern plan."[574] Jefferson rejected the plan as unnecessary, pointing out
that the rooms in the pavilions were designed to serve as "ordinary lecturing rooms" and that
the oval rooms were not designed to accommodate large numbers of students on a regular
basis. "no human voice can be habitually exerted to the extent of such an audience,"
Jefferson asserted. "we cannot expect our Professors to bawl daily to multitudes as our
strong orators do once a year. they must break the numbers into two or more parts
accomodated to voice and hearing, & repeat the lecture to them separately."[575] Madison
noted that plenty of "time & opportunity" remained for readjusting the "manner of finishing
the interior of the Rotunda rooms," if need be.[576]

Cabell and Loyall were not the only ones trying to alter components of Jefferson's plan for
the Rotunda. James Dinsmore consulted Jefferson on 21 April about changing the design of
the building's main exterior entablature as well as those for its windows. After carefully
examining "all the antient Corinthians in my possession," Jefferson demurred, observing
that Palladio, "as usual, has given the finest members of them all in the happiest
combination." Palladio also supplied the "handsomest entablatures for windows that I can
find any where."[577] Some small necessary alterations during the period were approved,
however, in order to adapt the exterior and interior designs to the actual building process and
in order to produce effects more pleasing to the eyes.[578] Even as he feverishly worked to
finish the architectural drawings for his Academical Village's capstone, Jefferson could soon
note with satisfaction that the Rotunda was "rising nobly" from the ground.[579]