Virginia Historical Highway Marker I-3
Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia. The cornerstone of its first building was laid on October 6, 1817, in the presence of three presidents of the United States--Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. In 1825, the university admitted its first scholars, who were educated in what Jefferson called "useful sciences." Following Jefferson's beliefs, the university was nonsectarian and allowed its students to choose their own courses of study. The honor system was established in 1842. In 1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named the original grounds, Thomas Jefferson's "academical village," to its prestigious World Heritage List.
photo: Rendering of UVA 1856; Library of Congress is licensed in the Public Domain
photo: Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800 is licensed in the Public Domain; Wikimedia Commons
image: UVA color engraving; by Serz is licensed in the Public Domain
image: View of UVA and Charlottesville 1856 lithograph; UVA Special Collections
