Thomas Jefferson’s Estimate of University of Virginia Building Costs, [ca. 28 November 1820]
Estimate of University of Virginia Building Costs
[ca. 28 Nov. 1820]
A general view of what the lands, buildings & all other expenditures for the University will have cost, when compleated, estimated from the monies actually recieved, & what the Proctor states as further necessary.
| D | ||
| Recieved of the Subscriptions about | 19,000 | |
| Loan from the Literary fund | 60,000 | |
| Annuities of 1819.20. | 30,000 | |
| 109,000 | ||
| to be recieved, the annuity of 1821. included in Proct’s estimate | 15,000 | |
| further necessary to compleat the Pavils Hotels & Dorms by do | 38,364 | |
| Probable actual cost of whole establmt (exclus. of Library)1 | 162,364. | |
| Estimates heretofore made. | |
| 10. Pavilions for accomodn of Professors @ 6000.D. each | 60,000. |
| 6. Hotels for dieting the Students @ 3500.D. each | 21,000 |
| 104. Dormitories @ 350.D. each | 36,400. |
| 200. as of lands & buildings purchased, may be stated as worth | 10,000 |
| covering with tin, instead of shingles, levelling grounds & streets bringing water in pipes & numerous other contingencies, say | 10,000 |
| Excess of actual cost above the estimates (about 18.2 p. cent) | 24,964 |
| 162,364. |
| To liberate the funds of the University and to open it in 1821. with only 6. professors, will require | |
| 1. a remission of the loan of 60,000.D. | |
| 2. a supplementory sum to liberate the annuities of 1821.2.3. | 45,000. |
| 3. to make good the deficit estimated by the Proctor | 8,364 |
| 4. an additional sum for the building of the Library | 40,000 |
5. and to establish & maintain 10. Professorships an equal partition of the literary fund between the University & elementary schools will be necessary, say 30,000. a year to each.
A building for an Observatory not having been mentioned in the Rockfish Report, is not brought into view here. it will cost about 10. or 12,000.D. and may be accomplished by the balance of subscription money not taken into account in the Report of 1820. and by the rents for the Hotels & Dormitories.
MS (ViU: TJP); entirely in TJ’s hand; undated; final paragraph added separately to MS and PoC; endorsed by Joseph C. Cabell: “Statement by Mr Jefferson of the probable cost of the buildings of the University of Virginia, exclusive of the Library-House”; with additional notations by Cabell beneath endorsement giving the cost of constructing the entire campus, including the library, as $202,364, and listing the types and numbers of the various structures making up the university. PoC (DLC: TJ Papers, 218:39045). Enclosed in TJ to Cabell, 28 Nov. 1820.
1. Omitted closing parenthesis editorially supplied.
2. Superfluous opening parenthesis preceding this number editorially omitted.
Index Entries
- Brockenbrough, Arthur Spicer; as University of Virginia proctor search
- building materials; shingles search
- building materials; tin search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; and University of Virginia finances search
- Central College; subscription for search
- education; elementary search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Estimate of University of Virginia Building Costs search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Rockfish Gap Report of the University of Virginia Commissioners search
- Literary Fund; and annuity for University of Virginia search
- Literary Fund; and loans for University of Virginia search
- Literary Fund; and primary education search
- Literary Fund; funds of search
- Literary Fund; University of Virginia Board of Visitors reports to search
- pipes, water; for University of Virginia search
- schools and colleges; elementary search
- subscriptions, nonpublication; for Central College–University of Virginia search
- tin; for University of Virginia search
- tin; roofs search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; TJ’s Estimate of University of Virginia Building Costs search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; annual reports of search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; building costs search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; dormitory rooms search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; hotels search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; land for search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; library search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; observatory for search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; pavilions search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; roofs search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; water pipes for search
- Virginia, University of; Establishment; commissioners’ report search
- Virginia; and education search
- water; pipes search
- wood; shingles search