The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-01-30


Issi,sd rrspe.Iins Ihe pin AID - 81
sl,.,se hl,idiugs, / had ii . dear and a.
f.,,, idsA ct .hem. prezuu,ing others ~
have rqaalls ,ague conceptions of thena,
8 ,hslI. O., 4ll.rstr4tr my subsequent reI1aass,
n,,.u,pt 4 briel description. pretend not
Ia uiu,i,. accuracy for. my general cor
recturs. | eau srrgel to itbosc who have
seesf-fnrrn. - %.
Imsgine n low iliJt, tiues or fur hundred
wards iu,g, slpl,iuS stnd, d.'''n ou eahef
si.Ie. uron that hlli by al aqthte uf q
h.ruvirel i'm, iur, ing tmouf rs s'j-sgsssFHi
VI Nth the ritigr of The bill, ami ','ap.lliy
distant from ihc'ridsc. Draw twayqlher
lines on.,ither side of lhe ridge, aud abo"
s1y yards apart aud level the ridge be
tween them, for Az avenue, aud the two
,idcs.of'the square .pliallel with them, hit
the four ranges of buildings. The t"h
ranges ON the avenue. Glce each onif
rr; the two outer ranges f.loA outwards,-
fseach range is twohuodfed giords long
!. fn,thr two inner ranges, stand ten nv"
story payilions or professors houses III
eaclrrange, one ut each end, and the rest
at equal distances along the line. The III
i i.ryals between th..pasilions are occaIird
by one story dOrhifories, or students
rooms, extending, ike wings from The paw
4 lions, 10 narrow cross allies hall way be
tween. The .dormtories firm single
row 0f'ioonis the pasllions are of dliier'
.nt Jrnporlions, bat from Thirty To fort,
feet front and depth
In The two outer rangesstand tight TWO
story il,aieis, or boarding houses; four III
each; one Mt each enl, aud the rest AT
equal distances a,i.e aiIferyas between
them are also filed with the same sort OF
dormitories, except -whneFthe yt.iss allies
come out The hotels afe slS~er aud
smaller than the pavilons.
The walls are all brick, of excellent work
manship.
Along the front ot zach ransr, Is row
of pillars, MS high as the walls before which
they slsnt. The roofs of the houses tx
tend .G,eI them, So that they form Il con-
iinued covered walk, (which is paved, and
f,e.M six feot"ide) along the,frOnt OF each
range.
The roofs of the dornitories are Nat, aud
ibordrren with a railing and lattice work,
on both sides, somcW hat like 6ue bridge,
but much finer. Vhesr roofs being on a
level withuhe upper floors of the portlcos
Of the .I,ayilions, and eonneefrdwith them,
are dcsigucdlo term promenade IN the
air f,n thc.familics Of the professors who
eenn take uallc and visit each other with
eut descending to the earth. AS II the
WALKS ON the outer ranges know not
whether they he Cor the students of these
lower rcgions, or for the boarding house
lkerpers-that matter never having been
explained.
At ono end of the avenue is the rotnnda,
mot yet finished. The body of the build
ing is circle of seventy or eighty feet III
diameter, and two lofty storIes IN height
4 The lower story has an pNil roUn on each
SIDE, with paAsage and stair case between.
At each end nj the passage, towards and
from the avenue, is rectangular 'prnicc-
ton in the outer wall, forming p!anc FAC,
about forty feet WIDE aud AZ high rs iii,
main wall These faces ar Ia hc the back'
nj grand pnrlicos. The portico towards
the aNcnucsis Ia be connected on the wight
and left, With the ends al the inner ranges
of buildings, by covered walks, aud top
walks on one story building, like the dor
mtoIies. The upper story oi the rotnada
is understand, to be "nr great room
for library, and to be CroNucd with a
dome.
Thc nYal rooms below, are to he used
for various associated purposes among
which We have heard something of re
igiOus irorShip Que OF them, ! pre-
same is L. be u hall for public exhibitions
no other being provided J though from
the size, one would suppose no audience i
expo, ted besides the inhabitants Of the uni
vcrsity.
The outward figure of tl,r walls 6f thG
building may b. lhtcned Ia great oblong
house, with the sides swtllrd out about iii,
middle. 1t will, however, be a splenlit
building.
Such is the plan di the ba,ldmgs. The
style of architecture is various, elegant
aud in the professors houses and rotunda
ornamental aud sumptuous. The profes
sor's houses, though of nearly equal SIZE
are al of different ordcrs'or ST, les of archi
lecture. S.me 'oftlte capitals are df'mar
bile wrought in Italy. After Hnitalau l,a,
been imported and employed her. at .oon
siderable 'eSponso,i ii was discovered 10 b,
cheaper IT, import the work than the work
man, and se the Italian was paid for hi,
passage, his work AID h,6'd,sappointrnen
and the economical plan adopted. Ever,
pavilion is surrounded and drcked with
fine corniecs and their accomplishments
the ceilings are adorned with cast stucco
fcanopIes, &c. In short, the parts suscrpii-
blt'ui establishment, are decorated With
almost every fine thing in the architects
vocabulary. The appearance rs delight
Il IT. whoa theeye aud fancy alone are ex-
ercIs"d IN The contemplation. Such dis
play OF cornlces, pedimcrts, arcades, &e,
&c. exists not elsewhere in America
But since theNast sums expended on these
buildings, were not appropriate Ia adern II
favorIte landscape, | offer some remarks
upon the propr' ~ and utility Of this ar.
chiteCtural show
I. The plan -uf our university is norel
and unh1ed. Its venerable author himself
/ profrsscd It was an Improvement upon
every tried plan of constructing COLI, gial
ed'tices. III is therefore supposed to differ,
aud does in fact differ materially, from eve.
ry thing of the Mind that is, or ever was
From the day Of Atheuian schools, 1000
years ago, 10 tins day, among all the phi