Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-11-17
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE
ATHEN H(JM.

lasting gratitude Of the city.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE
ATHENE UM
At monthly meeting OF the Council Of the city of
Richmond, held Monday, November 10TH 1876 the
following report was submitted from the Committee
the Athen9um; which was laid on the table and
ordered to b. printed for the Of the Council:
At a meeting OF the Committee the Atheneum,
held the 9Th OF November 1851, M. Giles from the
sub committee appointed Tor the purpose, made a re-
port as to the repairs and Improvements proper in
about or around the building and the grounds thereof
with an estimate of the probable COST which report Is
as follows:
The undersigned appointed ub.committee to as
certain the mode and cost of altering and fitting I'D the
Academy Building to answer the purpose oil the Athen-
aenm andLibrary Rooms submit the following report
We made thorough examination OF the buildings
aided by several experienced builders 1t appears 10
have been well Constructed OF excellent materials
and is in very good repair. While some alterations
might be made on the exterior, which would improve
its appearance and ought at future time to be etec-
ted yet in view OF its excellent preservation at present
and of the known wish of the Committee on the
Athenaum to incur as little expense possible, we
would not now recommend any such alterations -
The cutters leak IN two three places and the bel
try requires some rehtlng. These the only repairs
that 10 besnecessary on the outside of the bull
ding and they should be made at once, to prevent fur
tner injury to it.
necessary 10 adapt it to the purposes to which The
Council of the City has SO properly devoted it. One
OF those purposes requires that q lecture room should
be provided, to accommodate many of our citizens
the arrangement OF the building will permit In
etlectng this purpose, we have endeavored as much
pocibe to avoid any material change in the present
interior arrangements. We recommend that the two
large rooms the prnclpa floor, now divided by
brick par iiion wall with folding DOORS about twenty
feet wide, should be formed into room, by removing
the folding doors and a portion of the partition wall
on each side OF them, SO as to make the opening twen-
nine feet one inch wide, leaving only four feet eight
inches OF the wall on each side. The lecturers stand
will be placed at the end of that portion OF the part.
ton wall which will be left next TO the doors now
eading into the room-the back of the stand to be to-
wards the doors, and to be elevated equal height
with them. 1t will be four feet eight inches from the
doors, and thus leave su fcen for them to open
and tor passage way, around the back OF the stand TO
the seats in front and at the sides of it, which will be
arranged gallery treads or platforms, rising tour
inches, above another; that the highest platform
will be just level with the window ss This arrange
men of these rooms is shown by plan herewith sub
mltted and can be made, seen without any injury
whatever to the tleor openings of the rooms they
now, except the extension of the space now occu.
pied by the folding doors, which may any time here.
after be replaced if desired, at very little cost We
shall thus have room y-s feet four inches long
by thrtyeight fo3t five inches wde easily entered by
two DOORS and connecting, by two other DOORS with
the small each side, and OF sufficient capacity
to accommodate comfortably about five hundred per-
sens.
OF the two large rooms, on the second floor, the
north east room with the small room adjoining it is to
be appropriated 10 Inc klChm0nd Library Association,
and the south east room, with the small room
adjoining is to be appropriated to the Virginia Hisor-
cal Society.
These two large rooms, like those below are now
separated by similar partition wall and folding doors.
1t proposed to the folding doors and portion
OF the partition wall corresponding to that removed
bplow and to divide the two by trussed par
tition resting on truss grde contrved so as to sus-
tain perfectly the floor and ceiling, and at the same
time, add about nine inches to each room, affordng
very convenient recess ia each room on each side Of
the partition, for book shelves
The north east room will be fitted with shelves II
around it except at the openings to the height to which
the books may be easily reached by person on the
floor; and will be surmounted by plain but neat cor
nice.
The south east room will be fitted with shelves in The
way, but only extending along the side adjoining
the other This extent of shelves will be sufi-
cent for the present purposes of the Societies re-
Spectively, and :rhaps will be enough for several
years to come. 1t is not thought desirable to have
many more shelves than there are books to occupy
them. Hereafter when required, las we confidently
trust will bel gallery may be constructed over the
top OF the shelves made, which will be finished at
top with view to the construction OF such gallery
and then addiona shelves may be placed around tina
upper part OF the room, as well as in alcoves consruc
ted under the gallery
The pitch OF the rooms, is amply high for such ar
rangement, and would almost seem to have been de-"
signed for it. plan showing these arrangements is
herewith submitted.
An estimate OF the cost of repairs and alterations,
at present contemplated. as detailed above, has been
made at our request by Messrs. John and George
Gibson, and is herewith submitted showing the cost
to be SLOT To- from which, however, they state in
a note below, 500 may be deducted, explained by
them, leaving the estimated cost $l,0l7 TO-,
To complete the fixtures and furniture Of the build
ing 1t will be necessary, well economical, to
have furnace erected in the basement, under the en-
trance hall, to heat the hall and the lecture room
This will cost, as we are informed, about 5000 Either
benches or settees must be provided for the lecture
rooms. We woud recommend settees, which, we
estimate may be OBTAINED tor $40O, being very little
more Than me cost OF common benches, while lhey
VIII add much 10 tne appearance OF me room ana tne