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Drawing 4: Study for Anatomical Theatre by Thomas Jefferson, c. February 1825.

In support of its innovative course of study, the University's design included some very unusual buildings. Shortly before his death in 1826, Mr. Jefferson designed an Anatomical Theatre where human cadavers could be used as the basis for anatomy lessons. This building, one of only three such structures in the nation at the time, was built in 1827 and stood on the campus until it was demolished in 1938.

Questions for Drawing 4

1. What does the name "Anatomical Theatre" tell you about the way this building was used?

2. At the time, no other university campus had a building of this type. Why do you think Jefferson felt the need to build such a structure at the University of Virginia?

* The drawing on this screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Drawing 4, but be aware that the file will take as much as 35 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.