Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-06
THEIR MIXEDORDERS
The Architecture Of The University
Buildings.
MR.. JEFFERsoS's DRAW
A MisapprehensIon-T Rotunda-
Professors' Houses-Points Of De-
taiI--The Addition. to the Original
and the Modern structures.

and the Modern Structures.
The reproduction from the November
$3.50 No. Of the University Of Virginia
Alumni Quarterly Of the following ex-
tract from an article by Mr.. John Keran
Peeb,es Is timely. The article was en-
titled. Thomas jefferson; Architect:
1.-THE various drawings required for the
university buildings were made by Mr..
jefferson, assisted by his granddaughter,
Cornelia j. Randolph. Contrary to the
common-received idea. there has been no
attempt to make reproductions. except In
the case Of the rotunda. The proper
tons and the details OF the order used
we're taken from some structure. but no
attempt was made to reproduce that
structure, with the one exception noted.
For example: The pavilions now occu-
pied by Professors Garnett and Peters,
are credited to the Tonic OF the Temple
Of Fortuna Virilis.' A glance at cut
Of the temple will show that use was
made only of the order. not Of the design
Of the temple. And so also In regard to
the 'Doric and Ionic OF the Theatre of
Marcellus,' which we find in two other
pavilions.
I'm the rotunda, however. an entirely
different phase of the question presents
itself. The drawing made by Mr.. JEFF
ferson for this building contains the fol-
lowing: Rotunda reduced to the proper
lions of the Pantheon. and accommodated
to the purposes of library for the uni
versity, with rooms for drawing. music,
examinations, and other accessory pur-
poses-the diameter of the building az
feet) being one half that Of the Pantheon,
consequently one fourth its are and one
eighth It's volume
1T will be noted, however. that the
rotunda differs from the Pantheon. In the
following respects: The portico OF the
rotunda is Hexa-style: that OF the Pan
theon Is octa-style; the side belfries are
omitted; the main cornice OF the rotunda
is continued around the building. Again
in the rotunda, a circle drawn with it's
centre in the centre of the structure, Is
tangent to the ground-line and TO the
outside lines Of the side walls, as well as
10 the dome This Is not exactly the
case i'm the Pantheon, for here the dame
ter Of the dome and the distance from
the foor-line to the highest point OF the
dome are the same.
POINTS OF DETAIL.
Whatever differences there may be In
points Of detail, there is no doubt that the
effect of the buildings as whole Is
sIngularly inspiring and grand. The
shadows OF remote antiquity are cast
upon those beautiful. grassy lawns which
form the campus: or. shall we say, the
Campo-Santo Of the University OF Vir-
ginia? There in the Theatre Of MARCEL
lus, dwells the household OF Professor
Ind
Baths Of Caracalla. of the Baths OF Do
cletian, and Of the Temple OF Fortuna
Virilis. And there. at the upper or north
ern end OF the quadrangle, stands the
Roman Pantheon, the temple OF all the
gods, reduced to one half Its original
size, but still majestic and imposing. This
building, with It's rotunda, upon which
Jefferson spent as much pains as Michael
Angelo did upon the dome of ST. Peters,
Is used for the library and for various
lecture-halls. Young people dance mer-
rily under that stately dome at the end
of the academic year. The young monks
thus escape from their cells into the
modern social world. How charmingly
old Rome, medieval Europe. and modern
America blend together before the very
eyes of young Virginia!
"And we may well pause here and
ask why II is that. while Jefferson $
scholastic plan has been watched with
such pious solicitude. his architectural
scheme has been so desecrated. IT Is
fact that, with one exception. all the
additions to the original buildings vio-
late Mr.. Jeffersons scheme most flag
rantly. Yet, when we examine the mat
te. IL Is easy to see how this has hap
pened. We will pass, II you please. the
addition to the long rectangular annex
to the rotunda, in which II was vainly
hoped by repeating the porch at The new
end to preserve the harmony. The prin-
cipal additions Of the university In more
recent time have been the medical hail.
the chemical laboratory, the Brooks
museum, the chapel, and the gymnasium.
The medical hall and the chemical lato-
ratory are purely unitarian buildings.
which do not assert themselves, yet care
fully detailed classic entrances would
have done much to secure harmony. The
first building to make an irreparable
break in the plan was the Brooks
museum. This building equipment and
plans) was gift to the institution.
The visitors were only concerned with II
to the extent Of accepting 1t. The archi-
tects who planned it either failed TO
visit the university before doing so or
were possessed OF a greater share OF
iconoclasm than falls to most mortals.
style, and has been the subject OF much
severe criticism, notably from Amelie
Riyes.
BETTER OF BRICK.
"There can be no doubt that /; would
have been better to have built 1t OF brick
in the classic style, but whether any one
Is to be criticised for Ii Is doubtful
question. This building was erected by
the long continued and most earnest
effort of the ladies' OF the university,
and we Incline to believe that when the
end came in view the style Of design
was completely lost sight OF In the JOY
that the building was really TO be built
that the institution was TO have suita-
BILE edlfice for religious worship at last.
"As we have said. the chapel was built
by subscription, the museum was a gift,
and il was only In the Fayerweather
Gymnasium that the visitors exercised
controlling voice. While no copy of any
classic structure. yet the building follows
the lines laid down by Jefferson, being
classic in feeling and in detail.
MAY we not hope that In all future
additions to the university. no matter
how unimportant the structure may APP
pear. the visitors will bear In mind the
follow, ing memorable words of Jefferson,
words as true. and perhaps more needful
to-day than when first written, words
which IL would be we'll to have upon the
walls of all rooms in which committees
having charge of pubic buildings. DELHI
crate: Besides. how is a. taste in this
beautiful art to be formed in our country
men unless we avail ourselves Of every
occasion when public buildings are to be
erected OF presenting to them models
for their study and initiation