Foundations

Upper Walls

Chimney hearts

44

3

44

11

4.6

14

2 brick

1˝

2

The Dormitory dimensions, adding 168 bricks for Chimney Shaft, give 13,500 for each. In all these calculations I have made no allowance for openings excepted in the Arcade of Hotel No. 1. but the openings being nearly the same in each plan wou'd not materially vary the comparative result. By adopting the Single building we get over the difficulty of flat roofs. I find it to be the universal opinion of all the mechanicks to whom I have mentioned the subject (and in this opinion Mr. Brockenbrough fully accords) that the most durable timber we have will last but a few years in any situation where it is liable to be wet & dry alternately.--but especially when the timber is in huge peices & is placed in a horizontal position. The best heart pine Shingling will last about 30 years. But this may be accounts for from the small size of each peice--the nature of Shingling admitting the access of air & Sun to a surface which bears so large a proportion to the whole mass of each peice--And the angle which it makes with the horizontal lan throwing off the water quickly from its surface--These causes all combining to dry it rapidly after rain.--As to shingle roofs, it is a maxim confirmed by all experience that the higher the pitch the more lasting the Covering--This is manifestly the effect of less water being absorped, from its going off more rapidly--and seems to show; that as timber approaches a horizontal position, where it is exposed to be wit & dry its liability to decay increases. I think you informed me your experiment had as yet stood the test of but 7 years--Will it not be hazarding too much to adopt it upon so large a scale as is proposed in the Dormitories now to be built? And if any other mode of flat covering be adopted, the result of a comparative estimate with the plan here offer'd, must be still more against it upon the score of śconomy. I am aware, that the elevation of the plan now suggested, the appearance of the Chimneys and the roof will be offensive to your cultivated taste but perhaps you may think of some stile of finishing with parapet walls at the ends & balustrades between the Chimneys (as are awkwardly represented in the sketch) that will so far cover its deformity as to render it admissible upon the score of śconomy & comfort.

I am induced to write upon this subject knowing that Mr. Brockenbrough will be with you this week and being now very unwell--which makes it quite uncertain whether it will be in my power to be up at the Circuit Court, as I intended.

I have also to inform you, that the difficulties which seem to stand in the way of carrying the design of Genl. Koscioscos will into execution--in the first place from the scarcity of Schools about me & 2dly. from the prejudices to be encountered in obtaining admission for negroes--to say nothing of the effect which might be produced on the minds of my own people--must induce me to decline the undertaking. I presume the terms of the Will give you no discretion that wou'd admit of your directing the fund to the accomplishment of the object in the way set forth in the inclosed paper. I send you the paper, as I shou'd be glad to know your opinion as to the practicality of the scheme of the Colonization Society--I suppose you are in possession of the late information collated by Messrs. Mills & Burgess on the Coast of Africa with a view to this object.--I am Sir Yours respectfully

J. H. Cocke

*If this part of the design is executed in Masonry--Walls 2 ft. 6 & less wou'd hardly do--at $3.50 pr perch which is as low as we shall get it, it will cost only 6$ less than brick.

ALS, 4p, ViU:TJ [1690], with TJ docket "Cocke John H. Bremo May 3. 19. recd May 9." and docket "J. H. Cocke to T.J. 3 May 19."; ADft, dated 2 May, ViU:JHC.

Dear Sir Monticello July 8.[-26] 19.

Proposing within a few days to set out for Bedford, I think it a duty previously to state to you the progress and prospect of things at the University. You may perhaps remember that almost in the moment of our separation at the last meeting one of our colleagues proposed a change of a part of the plan of the grounds,⁽⁸³⁴⁾ so as to place the gardens of the Professors adjacent to the rear of their pavilions. the first aspect of the proposition presented to me a difficulty, which I then thought insuperable to wit, that of the approach of carriages, wood-carts Etc. to the back of the buildings.  mr Cabell's desire however appeared so strong, and the object of it so proper, that, after separation, I undertook to examine & try whether it could not be accomplished; and was happy to find it practicable, by a change which was approved by Genl. Cocke, and since by mr Cabell who has been lately with me.⁽⁸³⁵⁾ I think it a real improvement, and the greater, as by throwing the Hotels and additional dormitories on a back street, it forms in fact the commencement of a regular town, capable of being enlarged to any extent which future circumstances may call for.

My colleague of the Committee of superintendance proposed another change, to wit, that the Hotels and dormitories should be united in massive buildings of 2. or 3. stories high, on the back street. had my judgment concurred in this alteration, I should not have thought ourselves competent to it, as a committee of superintendance. the separation of the students in different and unconnected rooms, by two's and two's, seems a fundamental of the plan. it was adopted by the first visitors of the Central college, stated by them in their original report to the Governor as their patron, and by him laid before the legislature; it was approved and reported by the Commissioners of Rockfish gap to the legislature; of their opinion indeed we have no other evidence than their acting on it without directing a change. not thinking therefore that the committee was competent to this change, I concurred in suspending the building of any Hotel until the visitors should have an opportunity of considering the subject, and, instead of building one or two Hotels, as they had directed, we concluded to begin the Eastern range of pavilions, all agreeing that the ranges on each side of the lawn should be finished as begun. we thought too that the Visitors would not disapprove of this departure from their instructions, as these pavilions can be used for Hotels until wanting for the Professors.

We have adopted another measure however, without their sanction, because it is in fact a fuller execution of the principles expressed and acted on at their meeting: and we are confident they would have adopted it had it then occurred. their idea was to push the buildings to the extent of all the funds we could command. altho' we had recieved the opinion of the Treasurer and literary board that we might command at any moment the whole donation for this year, yet it seems not to have occurred to any of us at the time, that we might do the same the next year, and consequently draw it's 15,000. D. on the 1st. day of January next. the thought occurring afterwards, we have not hesitated to act on it; & we are proceeding to have 3. pavilions erected on the Eastern range, with their appurtenant dormitories, in addition to the 4. built, or to be built on the Western range; so that we may have 7. pavilions, with their dormitories, in progress this year, to be finished the next.

Our principle being to employ the whole of our funds on the buildings, I thought it so important to be preparing subjects for the University, by the time that should open, that I invited a mr Stack, a teacher of Latin & Greek of high recommendations, to come and set up a school in Charlottesville on his own account. he has done so, and answers my best expectations, by a style of instruction, critical and solid, beyond any example I have ever known in this state, or indeed in the US. he recieved his education at Trinity college, Dublin, & appears to be a correct, modest and estimable man. he teaches French also: and to give an opportunity to the students of acquiring the habit of speaking that language, we have got Laporte and his family from the Calfpasture to establish a boarding house where, nothing but French being permitted to be spoken, his boarders begin already to ask for all their wants in that language, and to learn the ordinary phrases of familiar conversation. Mr. Stack has as yet but 14. or 15. pupils and Laporte 9. boarders; but as soon as the present sessions in the schools of the state generally are ended and the youths liberated from their present engagements, we have reason to believe more will be offered than can be recieved; and in this way I think we may have from 50. to 100. subjects fully prepared to attend the scientific professors the moment the University opens. I have recieved from London the offer of a Professor of modern languages, of qualifications literary and moral, so high as to merit our suffrage, if we can get over the difficulty that, French being the most important of the modern languages, mr Blatterman is not a native of France. mr Ticknor declines coming to us, I shall again try mr Bowditch, with some additional, but with not much final hope. we have the offer of a botanist of distinguished science, a mr Nuttal, but whether a native or not is not said. Dr. Cooper, his wife and family have certainly, and strongly set their minds towards us. the minerals of his collection have been selected, valued and packed to come on at the time prescribed.⁽⁸³⁶⁾

I had begun to despair of our two Italian sculptors, and enquired therefore of a mr Cardelli from Washington whether such as could carve an Ionic or Corinthian capitel could be had from that place. he informed me that they could, at 3. D. a day. luckily the two Italians arrived some days ago after a sea-passage of 90. days. they will cost us, passage and board included, about 2. D. a day, and are men of quite superior character. I was just setting off for Bedford to stay there 2. months; but have deferred my departure till mr Brockenbrough can arrive here, in order to see them fixed and put under way, that the stone might be quarried, and roughed out for them, so that they should be employed on difficult work only.⁽⁸³⁷⁾

Our works have gone on miserably slow. not a brick is yet laid. they are now however prepared to begin laying the Western pavilion No. 1. our advertisement for workmen could not be put into the papers until after the meeting of the visitors at the close of March. the offers from the Undertakers of our own state were from 25. to 40. p.c. on the Philadelphia printed prices. we at length got an offer from Philadelphia at 15. p.c. below the printed prices, & learnt the fact that when work abounds there the workmen are able to raise prices 10. or 15. p.c. above these, and when work is scarce the employers are able to beat them down to 10. or 15. below the printed prices; which however, if continued, soon breaks them. we did not think it either our duty or interest to break our workmen, and considering the printed as the fair living prices, we agreed to give them. an undertaker came on to see the extent of the work we had to do. this brought our own people down to the same prices; so we assigned to them the completion of the Western range, and to the Philadelphians the Eastern.⁽⁸³⁸⁾ these, 20 in number arrived at Richmond some days ago and are expected here this day. we shall now have about 100. hands at work.⁽⁸³⁹⁾ I am in hopes the convenience of talking over, and settling our business here at our leisure, will be an inducement to you to make this your head quarters at our next meeting in addition to the gratification it will be to me to have you here, and I salute you with great friendship & respect.

Th: Jefferson

P.S. July 11. a vast embarrasment has this moment befallen us. our two Italians examined our quarry yesterday and pronounce it impossible to make of it an Ionic or Corinthian capitel, and they can work only in these ornamental parts, & not at all in plain work. I never was so nonplussed. they have cost us a great deal of money, & how to avoid it's becoming a loss, & how to get our work done, is the difficulty. I shall consult with mr Brockenbrough on it to-day, & depart tomorrow.

Poplar Forest. July 16. I have brought my letter on to this place, open for the insertion of a 2d. P.S. I left the Italians making trial whether our stone would stand the cutting the leaves of a Corinthian capitel. if it does not, they will go to work on the Ionic capitels for which it will answer, and we must get stone elsewhere for the Corinthian, of which order we have only 2. pavilions of 4. columns each, 4 pavilions Ionic, and 4 Doric. the Philadelphians had arrived at the University & had set to work.

ALS, addressed to James Breckenridge, ViU:TJ, 4p [1715]; ALS, addressed to James Madison, DLC:JM; polygraph copy, addressed to Breckenridge, Robert B. Taylor, and Champman Johnson, DLC:TJ; polygraph copy, addressed to Madison, DLC:TJ; printed (extract), O'Neal, "Michele and Giacomo Raggi at the University of Virginia," Magazine of Albemarle County History, 18:16-17; transcript (extract), #00-15 in Lasala, "Thomas Jefferson's Designs for the University of Virginia." The word in angle brackets is mutilated on the ALS addressed to Breckenridge, but clear on the polygraph copy addressed to Taylor, Breckenridge, and Johnson. On that copy the second postscript was inserted within square brackets by TJ after the copy was finished with the notation "P.S. added to Genl. Breckenridge only." The second polygraph copy does not contain either postcript. See the notes below for other major variations between the texts.