University of Virginia Library

Miscellanies

A few other loose ends respecting the building had to be tied beginning in the spring and
summer of 1819. Thomas Cooper promised that Philadelphia could produce a tin man for
the university as early as January 1819 but one still had not been found at the end of
July,[332] by which time A. H. Brooks long since had crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains
from Staunton: in early July he was "progressing with the tin Covering & expects to finish
next week."[333] By the fall the word was out that "you are covering your houses with tin,"
and John Van Lew & Co. offered to furnish the university with that article out of its "large
supply."[334] John Perry's undated estimate for the cost of covering "one range of
dormitories done with wood-99 feet long" was probably made before or shortly following
the 26 February resolution by the visitors of the Central College to cover the roofs with tin,
before A. H. Brooks was consulted.[335] Perry projected the cost for framing and covering
the 38 squares of roofing area with 22 inch wooden shingles, "includeing guttering Joint"
and running 1,008 feet of "Shingleing ridges," to be $905, or $295.93 less than covering the
same area with sheet iron for $1,200.88.[336] Preliminary discussions about gutters began in
May, apparently before Perry made that memorandum.[337] It was another year, however,
before Brockenbrough questioned the rector about whether to substitute tin gutters for
wooden ones on the dormitories and flat-roofed pavilions. "It takes 26 Feet of gutter to go
over the dormitory & that at about 25 cents pr foot for Materials & workmanship will cost
$6.50 for each gutter," said the proctor. Tin gutters, he calculated, could be made for $5.34
each since a $15 "box of tin will make 8 gutters . . . will be say $2. for the tin necessary for
each gutter, the workmanship for puting in the same 1$ more pr gutter all other work
preparing, will not be more than $2.34."[338]