Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Minutes of University of Virginia Board of Visitors, 2 April 1821

Minutes of University of Virginia Board of Visitors

At a meeting of Visitors of the University of Virginia at the said University on Monday the 2d of April 1821. present Th: Jefferson Rector, James Breckenridge, Chapman Johnson & James Madison.

A1 letter having been recieved by the Rector from Thomas Appleton of Leghorn stating the prices at which the Ionic & Corinthian capitels wanting for the Pavilions of the University may be furnished2 there in marble, and these prices appearing to be much lower than they would cost if made here in stone, Resolved that it be an instruction to the Committee of superintendance to procure the sd Capitels in marble3 from Italy.4

Resolved as the opinion of this board, that it is expedient to procure the loan of 60,000.D. or so much thereof as may be necessary,5 as authorised by the late act of the General Assembly concerning the University of Virginia, and that the Committee of superintendance be instructed to negociate the same with the President & Directors [of]6 the literary fund of preference,7 or if not to be obtained from them, then with others according to the authorities of the sd act.

Resolved8 that it is9 expedient to proceed with the building of the Library on the plan submitted to the board: provided the funds of the University be adequate to the completion of the buildings already begun, and to the building the Western range of hotels & dormitories, & be also adequate to the completion of the Library so far as to render the building secure & fit for use: & that it be an instruction to the Commee of superintendance to ascertain as accurately as may be the state of accounts under the contracts already made, the expences10 of compleating the buildings begun & contemplated, and not to enter into any contracts for the Library until they are fully satisfied that, without interfering with the finishing of all the pavilions, hotels & dormitories, begun and to be begun, they have funds sufficient to put the library in the condition above described.11

And the board adjourns without day.

Th: Jefferson. rector.

MS (ViU: TJP-VMTJ); entirely in TJ’s hand; inconsistently dated. Dft (ViU: TJP); in the hands of James Breckinridge and Chapman Johnson, with emendations by TJ; significant variations noted below. Tr (ViU: TJP-Co); extract in TJ’s hand; at head of text: “1821. Apr. 2.”; enclosed in TJ to John H. Cocke, 9 Apr. 1821. Tr (ViU: TJP-VMJCC); written on a separate sheet and attached with red sealing wax at its correct chronological place. Tr (ViU: TJP-VMJHC). Tr (ViU: TJP-VMJB).

The letter from Thomas Appleton was dated 10 Oct. 1820. The committee of superintendance consisted of TJ and John H. Cocke. The late act of the general assembly, passed 24 Feb. 1821, was “An act concerning the University of Virginia.” It authorized the President and Directors of the Literary Fund to advance the University of Virginia Board of Visitors a sum not exceeding $60,000 (Acts of Assembly description begins Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia (cited by session; title varies over time) description ends [1820–21 sess.], 15–6). without day: “sine die.”

Writing to her grandson Nicholas P. Trist from Farmington on 5 Apr. 1821, Elizabeth Trist reported that on 31 Mar. TJ visited without “ceremony … and took dinner with us, it began to rain about 5 Oclock tho not hard but he cou’d not be prevaild on to stay all night as he expected some of the visitors of the University that evening or next day but it seems but four assembled two of the members were too unwell to leave home Mr Jefferson I never saw look better I was afraid that he wou’d take cold that evening he left here for he wou’d not take an umberella fortunately it did not rain hard and by the time he got to Charlottesville it ceased raining.” Later in the letter, Trist summarized an otherwise unknown 30 Mar. letter to herself from Virginia J. Randolph (Trist), writing that “Mr Jefferson will pay his Spring visit to Bedford this month Cornelia is going certainly, but they had not decided which of the remaining three will accompany her, as each puts in her claim, She shou’d not be surprised if her Mama was to go up, indeed if her Aunt Eppses Harpsicord is sent she will be obliged to go to put it in tune” (RC in DLC: NPT).

1Dft, in Breckinridge’s hand, begins with this word, as does TJP-Co Tr.

2Dft: “obtained.”

3Preceding two words not in TJP-Co Tr.

4TJP-Co Tr ends here, with following paragraph replaced by his bracketed note: “then follows a resolution instructing us to borrow the 60.M.D. authorised by the late law.”

5Text from “of 60,000.D.” to this point interlined in Dft by TJ.

6Word, not in MS, supplied from Dft.

7Instead of remainder of paragraph, Dft reads “or otherwise according to the authorities of the sd act <or as much of the sd sum as they may find necessary for the erection of the sd building>.”

8TJP-Co Tr resumes with this word. Beginning with this paragraph, Dft is in Johnson’s hand.

9VMJCC and VMJB Trs: “be.”

10TJP-Co Tr: “expence.”

11Dft and TJP-Co Tr end here.

12MS and VMJCC Tr: “Oct.” VMJHC and VMJB Trs: “Apl.”

13Dateline added in a different ink. All texts give the year as “1820.”

Index Entries

  • An act concerning the University of Virginia (1821) search
  • Appleton, Thomas; and capitals for University of Virginia search
  • Breckinridge (Breckenridge), James; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • Cocke, John Hartwell (1780–1866); as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • Eppes, Maria (Mary) Jefferson (TJ’s daughter; John Wayles Eppes’s first wife); harpsichord of search
  • Farmington (G. Divers’s Albemarle Co. estate); E. Trist visits search
  • Farmington (G. Divers’s Albemarle Co. estate); TJ visits search
  • harpsichords; for Poplar Forest search
  • Italy; marble from search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Travels; visits Divers family search
  • Johnson, Chapman; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • Literary Fund; and loans for University of Virginia search
  • Madison, James (1751–1836); as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • marble; for University of Virginia search
  • music; harpsichord search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); harpsichord for search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); M. J. Randolph visits search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); TJ plans visits to search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); TJ’s grandchildren visit search
  • Randolph, Cornelia Jefferson (TJ’s granddaughter); visits Poplar Forest search
  • Randolph, Martha Jefferson (Patsy; TJ’s daughter; Thomas Mann Randolph’s wife); visits Poplar Forest search
  • Trist, Elizabeth House; correspondence with N. P. Trist search
  • Trist, Elizabeth House; on TJ search
  • Trist, Elizabeth House; visits Farmington search
  • Trist, Nicholas Philip; correspondence with E. Trist search
  • Trist, Virginia Jefferson Randolph (TJ’s granddaughter); correspondence with E. Trist search
  • Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search
  • Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; committee of superintendence search
  • Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; meetings of search
  • Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; Minutes of search
  • Virginia, University of; Books and Library; plans for search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; capitals for search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; dormitory rooms search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; hotels search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; marble for search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; pavilions search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; Rotunda (library) search
  • Virginia, University of; Establishment; and General Assembly search
  • Virginia; General Assembly search
  • weather; rain search