Notes on the State of Virginia (1802)/Query 15
QUERY XV.
THE colleges and public eſtabliſhments, the
roads, buildings, &c.?
The college of William and Mary is the only public ſeminary of Learning in this ſtate. It was founded in the time of king William and queen Mary, who granted to it 20,000 acres of land, and a penny a pound duty on certain tobaccoes exported from Virginia and Maryland, which had been levied by the ſtatute of 25 Car. 2. The aſſembly alſo gave it, by temporary laws, a duty on liquors imported, and, ſkins and furs exported. From there reſources it received upwards of 3000l. communibus annis. The buildings are of brick, ſufficient for an indifferent accommotation of perhaps an hundred ſtudents. By its charter it was to be under the government of twenty viſitors, who were to be its legiſlators, and to have a preſident and ſix profeſſors, who were incorporated. It was allowed a repreſentative in the general aſſembly. Under this charter, a profeſſorſhip of Greek and Latin languages, a profeſſorſhip of mathematics, one of moral philoſophy, and two of divinity, were eſtabliſhed. To theſe were annexed, for a ſixth profeſſorſhip, a conſiderable donation by Mr. Boyle of England, for the inſtruction of the Indians, and their converſion to Chriſtianity. This was called the profeſſorſhip of Brafferton, from an eſtate of that name in England, purchaſed with the monies given. The admiſſion of the learners of Latin and Greek filled the college with children. This rendered it diſagreeable and degrading to young gentlemen already prepared for entering on the ſciences, they were diſcouraged from reſorting to it, and thus the ſchools for mathematics and moral philoſophy, which might have been of ſome ſervice, became of very little. The revenues too were exhauſted in accommodating thoſe who came only to acquire the rudiments of ſcience. After the preſent revolution, the viſitors, having no power to change thoſe circumſtances in the conſtitution of the college which were fixed by the charter, and being therefore confined in the number of profeſſorſhips, undertook to change the objects of the profeſſorſhips. They excluded the two ſchools for divinity, and that for the Greek and Latin languages, and ſubſtituted others; ſo that at preſent they ſtand thus:
A Profeſſorſhip for Law and Police;
Anatomy and Medicine:
Natural Philoſophy and Mathematics:
Moral Philoſophy, the law of Nature and
Nations, the fine Arts:
Modern Languages:
For the Brafferton.
And it is propoſed, ſo ſoon as the legiſlature shall have leiſure to take up this ſubject, to deſire authority from them to increaſe the number of profeſſorſhips, as well for the purpoſe of ſubdividing thoſe already inſtituted, as of adding others for other branches of ſcience. To the profeſſorſhips uſually eſtabliſhed in the univerſities of Europe, it would ſeem proper to add one for the ancient languages and literature of the North, on account of their connection with our own language laws, cuſtoms, and hiſtory. The purpoſes of the Brafferton inſtitution would be better anſwered by maintaining a perpetual miſſion among the Indian tribes, the object of which, beſides inſtructing them in the principles of Chriſtianity, as the founder requires, ſhould be to collect their traditions, laws, cuſtoms, languages, and other circumſtances which might lead to a diſcovery of their relation with one another, or deſcent from other nations. When theſe objects are accompliſhed with one tribe, miſſionary might paſs on to another.
The roads are under the government of the county courts, ſubject to be controled by the general court. They order new roads to be opened wherever they think them neceſſary. The inhabitants of the county are by them laid off into precincts, to each of which they allot a convenient portion of the public roads to be kept in repair. Such bridges as may be built without the aſſiſtance of artificers, they are to build. If the ſtream be ſuch as to require a bridge of regular workmanſhip, the court employs workmen to build it, at the expence of the whole county. If it be too great for the county, application is made to the general aſſembly, who authoriſe individuals to build it, and to take a fixed toll from all paſſengers, or give ſanction to ſuch other propoſition as to them appears reaſonable.
Ferries are admitted only at ſuch places as are particularly pointed out by law, and the rates of ferriage are fixed.
Taverns are licenſed by the courts, who fix their rates from time to time.
The private buildings are very rarely conſtructed
of ſtone or brick; much the greateſt portion being of ſcantling and boards, plaiſtered with lime.
It is impoſſible to deviſe things more ugly,
uncomfortable, and happily more periſhable. There
are two or three plans, on one of which, according
to its ſize, moſt of the houſes in the ſtate are
built. The pooreſt people build huts of logs, laid
horizontally in pens, ſtopping the intereſtices with
mud. Theſe are warmer in winter and cooler in
ſummer, than the more expenſive conſtruction of
ſcantling and plank. The wealthy are attentive
to the raiſing of vegetables, but very little ſo to
fruits. The poorer people attend to neither, living
principally on milk and animal diet. This is
the more inexcuſable, as the climate requires
indiſpenſably a free uſe of vegetable food, for health
as well as comfort, and is very friendly to the raiſing
of fruits. The only public buildings worthy
mention are the capitol, the palace, the college,
and the hoſpital for lunatics, all of them in
Williamſburgh, heretofore the ſeat of our government.
The capitol is a light and airy ſtructure, with a
portico in front of two orders, the lower of which,
being Doric, is tolerably juſt in its proportions and
ornaments, ſave only that the intocolonations are
too large. The upper is Ionic, much too ſmall
for that on which it is mounted, its ornaments not
proper to the order, nor proportioned within
themſelves. It is crowned with a pediment, which is
too high for its ſpan. Yet, on the whole, it is the
moll pleaſing piece of architecture we have. The
palace is not handſome without: but it is ſpacious
and commodious within, is prettily ſituated, and
with the grounds annexed to it, is capable of
being made an elegant ſeat. The college and
hoſpital are rude, miſ-ſhapen piles, which, but that they have roofs would be taken for brick-kilns.
There are no other public buildings but churches
and court-houſes, in which no attempts are made
at elegance. Indeed it would not be eaſy to
execute ſuch an attempt, as a workman could ſcarcely
be found here capable of drawing an order. The
genius of architecture ſeems to have ſhed its
maledictions over this land. Buildings are often erected
by individuals of conſiderable expence. To
give theſe ſymmetry and taſte would not increaſe
their coſt. It would only change the arrangement
of the materials, the form and combination
of the members. This would often coſt leſs than
the burthen of barbarous ornoments with which
theſe buildings are ſometimes charged. But the
firſt principles of the art are unknown, and there
exiſts ſcarcely a model among us ſufficiently chaſte
to give an idea of them. Architecture being one
of the fine arts, and as ſuch within the department
of a profeſſor of the college, according to the new
arrangement, perhaps a ſpark may fall on ſome
young ſubjects of natural taſte, kindle up their
genius, and produce a reformation in this elegant
and uſeful art. But all we ſhall do in this way
will produce no permanent improvement to our
country while the unhappy prejudice prevails that
houſes of brick or ſtone are leſs wholeſome than
thoſe of wood. A dew is often obſerved on the
walls of the former in rainy weather, and the moſt
obvious ſolution is, that the rain has penetrated
through theſe walls. The following facts however
are ſufficient to prove the error of this ſolution.
1. This dew upon the walls appears when there is
no rain, if the ſtate of the atmoſphere be moiſt.
2. It appears on the partition as well as the exterior walls. 3. So alſo on pavements of brick or
ſtone. 4. It is more copious in proportion as the
walls are thicker; the reverſe of which ought to
be the caſe, if this hypotheſis were juſt. If cold
water be poured into a veſſel of ſtone, or glaſs, a
dew forms inſtantly on the outſide: but if it be
poured into a veſſel of wood, there is no ſuch
appearance. It is not ſuppoſed, in the firſt caſe,
that the water has exuded through the glaſs, but
that it is precipitated from the circumambient air;
as the humid particles of vapor, paſſing from the
boiler of an alembic through its refrigerant, are
precipitated from the air, in which they were
ſuſpended, on the internal ſurface of the refringerant.
Walls of brick or ſtone act as the refrigerant in this
inſtance. They are ſufficiently cold to condenſe
and precipitate the moiſture ſuſpended in the air
of the room, when it is heavily charged therewith.
But walls of wood are not ſo. The queſtion then
is, whether air in which this moiſture is left floating,
or that which is deprived of it, be moſt wholeſome?
In both caſes the remedy is eaſy. A little
fire kindled in the room, whenever the air is damp,
prevents the precipitation on the walls: and this
practice, found healthy in the warmeſt as well as
coldeſt ſeaſons, is as neceſſary in a wooden as in a
ſtone or a brick houſe. I do not mean to ſay,
that the rain never penetrates through walls of
brick. On the contrary I have ſeen inſtances of
it. But with us it is only through the northern
and eaſtern walls of the houſe, after a north-eaſterly
ſtorm. Therſe being the only ones which
continue long enough to force through the walls.
This however happens too rarely to give a juſt
character of unwholeſomeneſs to ſuch houſes. In a houſe, the walls of which are of well-burnt brick
and good mortar, I have ſeen the rain penetrate
through but twice in a dozen or fifteen years.
The inhabitants of Europe, who dwell chiefly in
houſes of ſtone or brick, are ſurely as healthy as
thoſe of Virginia. Theſe houſes have the advantage
too of being warmer in winter and cooler in
ſummer than thoſe of wood; of being cheaper in
their firſt conſtruction, where lime is convenient,
and infinitely more durable. The latter conſideration
renders it of great importance to eradicate
this prejudice from the minds of our countrymen.
A country whoſe buildings are of wood, can never
increaſe in its improvements to any conſiderable
degree. Their duration is highly eſtimated at 50
years. Every half century then our country
becomes a tabula raſa, whereon we have to ſet out
anew, as in the firſt moment of ſeating it. Whereas
when buildings are of durable materials, every
new edifice is an actual and permanent acquiſition
to the ſtate, adding to its value as well as to its
ornament.