The Thomas Jefferson Plan for the University of Virginia - Assignment Example

The Thomas Jefferson Plan for the University of Virginia It is safer to have the whole people respectably enlightened than a few in a high state of science and the many in ignorance. --Thomas Jefferson Sir Thomas Jefferson: Sir Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States (1801 – 1809) He was born in Goochland County, Virginia on the 13th of April, 1743. He graduated from the college of William and Mary in 1762 and was a dedicated visionary. He was fondly called "Man of the People," or the "Sage of Monticello". He wrote extensively – one of which was “The Declaration of Independence”. Thomas Jefferson, a man with a vision of an educated society, had mulled over the idea for decades because he believed that the enemy of freedom was ignorance and nothing else. Just like other learned people who were enlightened, Jefferson too had a grand vision of his own. During his tenure as President, he promoted the study of archeology, and architecture together with subjects such as natural history and botany. By the year 1815, Jefferson had an extensive library, one of the largest in the United States. He had a conviction which said that, “all subjects of learning fell within the purview of all learned men”. He promoted education by bringing in useful reforms with the long term notion of achieving a republican nation. Therefore, Jefferson’s educational advocacy culminated in the construction of the University of Virginia which became his corner stone. So in 1818, when he retired the former U.S President set to work immediately when the Virginia Legislature sanctioned authorization for a state university. Jefferson strived hard to do his best to correct the already existing defects that were prevalent in the educational institutions based on the curriculum according to European settings. He envisioned a sort of “academical village” with trees that bordered a beautiful lawn which he thought would serve as an ideal setting for proper higher education. The centrifugal point of this educational village would house a university library which he imagined to be a Temple of Knowledge. Jefferson utilized his intelligence to the fullest, dedicating a good bit of his time and energy in constructing a different kind of institution for education. He realized that he had an American setting for higher education and a college campus that was so unique after he had completed designing it. The University of Virginia: The construction of the University which began in 1817 and went right through 1828 was one of the largest construction projects ever to take place in American history. Most of the documentary sources pertaining to the construction were very well preserved making it today one of the finest documented building projects of early America besides the United States Capitol. Going back in time to the history of the University of Virginia, we become aware that conception and construction of the building were primarily based on the visions and ideas of Jefferson who made decisions after consulting several talented people who contributed to them by way of criticisms. The 1916 publication of Fiske Kimball gave a lot of importance to Thomas Jefferson, Architect which left an indelible mark on the study of Jefferson architecture. It was forty five years later, that another writer Nichols supplemented Kimball’s writing and was later recognized as the leading authority of Jefferson architecture. It was in 1976, when they were preparing for the nation’s bicentennial that University of Virginia's Rotunda underwent renovation and there was a huge spurt of writing by Nichols as well as other great writers. Jefferson's Academical Village was introduced to a much wider audience far greater than one could ever imagine. The University of Virginia is a magnificent co-educational institution that was constructed for higher education located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It houses one of the biggest independent schools of medicine in the United States. This huge University is made up of the Jefferson Medical College, the College of Graduate Studies, the College of Health Professions, and a teaching hospital named The Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. The Specifications of the University: The construction was situated on an elevated site that spread across 28 acres of land. The campus housed a “U” shaped row of structures with an “L” shaped Rotunda at the end of the curve on the Northern side which served as a library and classrooms. On both sides of a beautiful lush lawn, were Pavilions which served as lodgings for faculty and student rooms. His buildings were modeled on the lines of structures in the Roman republic. Running parallel to the inner rows are the outer rows which house the dormitory rooms and eating rooms. Lush gardens between the inner and outer ranges ran along serpentine boundary walls. The width of the garden is 152 feet. The Rotunda is constructed of geometric shapes and is 78’ in height. One can enter the Rotunda through a portico consisting of six Corinthian columns that supported a triangular pediment. the Rotunda is entered through a portico made up of six Corinthian columns The cylindrical portion of the Rotunda is made up of red brick and trimmed with white wood The dome is built from tiles and is roofed using what is called tin plate. The inner surface is finished with plaster. The width of the walls of the Rotunda is 2'8". Altogether there are ten pavilions which are given numbers 1 to 10 having the even numbers on the Eastern side and the odd numbers on the Western side. Each number represents an original school having its own classrooms, the living quarters of the professor with single storey dormitories. All the ten pavilions are connected by a shelter that runs across to offer safety from inclement weather. Each pavilion is uniquely designed according to the subjects or the lessons. An example of this would be the Pavilion VIII that stands as an example of the Corinthian architectural order of the Diocletian Baths which is interpreted in Chambray's pattern book. The width of each pavilion is between 38 feet to about 46 feet. To portray an illusion of distance when viewing the ranges, the pavilions that are much nearer to the Rotunda are placed much closer to the rotunda than the pavilions farther from it. The Rotunda is made up of three storeys of which the first two storeys incorporate oval rooms. The third storey consists of a huge dome. The luscious lawn that is lined by rows of trees is 740 feet in length and 192 feet in breadth. The terraced lawn slopes in gradual steps from North to South. The center point known as the Jeffersonian Precinct is separated or kept apart from the rest of the University by roads on the West, North, and East sides and on the south side there is a wide walkway or path. The very basis on which he coined the phrase “academical village” a term which is still very much in vogue today is because Jefferson envisioned a place where professors and students lived together under one roof and learned different subjects and gained immense knowledge. As architecture critic Paul Goldberger puts it rightly in “The New Yorker”, “possibly the greatest piece of architecture in America”. Jefferson was greatly inspired by Andrea Palladio and just like him he wanted the centre spot of his academical village to be a library instead of the customary chapel. This wonderful legacy handed down by one of the greatest envisionaries of our time is worth its weight in gold and it would be fondly remembered for centuries to come. In 1824, Jefferson held the first formal dinner at the University where he invited his dearest friend Marquis de Lafayette and four hundred other guests and that stood out like a red letter day for them to remember. Sadly Jefferson died before the construction of the structures on the lawn could be finished. Yet he remains as a visionary figure in the hearts of all those who work and learn at the University of Virginia. References: The Thomas Jefferson Plan for the University of Virginia. www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/92uva/92uva.htm Jefferson Digital Archive www.etext.lib.virginia.edu/jefferson Creating a Virginia Republic/ Thomas Jefferson www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/jeffrep.html American President/ Thomas Jefferson www.millercenter.virginia.edu/academic/americanpresident/jefferson World Heritage Sites/ Thomas Jefferson www.nps.gov/history/worldheritage/jeff.htm Thomas Jefferson www.ellencrosby.com/TJ_UV.pdf Read More