Virginia Military Institute - Bomb Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

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1839-1864 FTER several years of discussion and investigation, the Legisla- ture of the Commonwealth of Virginia passed an act on March 29, 1839, providing for the establishment of a state military college at the site of the state arsenal in Lexmgton. The provisions of this act were fulfilled when, as described by Colonel J. T. L. Preston in his Semi-Centennial address, on that often-mentioned 11th of November, 1839, when amidst the falling snow the solitary cadet made his appearance in history by mounting guard m front of the disestablished arsenal. That schtary cadet, as he paced beneath the then youthful hickory guard tree, gazed at a small group of buildings of which the most important v ere the four-story arsenal building and the two-story Barracks, which included the mess hall and housed the steward, his family, and servants. The hill that is now the parade ground was cut by gullies, and part of it was a cornheld. Within a year the Barracks had been enlarged by the addition of another story, and a Mess House had been constructed that contained the kitchen, mess hall and steward ' s guarters on the hrst two floors, and a library and classrooms on the third. This Barracks gradually became an L-shaped structure of two and three stories topped by a cupola, the arsenal being inside the courtyard ormed by the Barracks and a wall. The first decade of the Institute ' s existence was a period of haphazard growth, with additions being made to the Barracks and houses being erected for the officers ' guarters. Other buildings of minor importance were also constructed, including a hospital, built in 1849, which is still standing. In 1851 the grounds and buildings of the Inshtute began to assume the uniform characteristics that are responsible for its singular appearance. In that year the original haphazardly con- structed Barracks gave way to the regular lines and castellated towers of the predecessor to the present structure, which included the south and parts of the east and west sides of its modern counter- part. n 1854 a capacious and well-eguipped mess hall was built at its present location, which also provided quarters for the board of visitors, the steward and various officers. Two years later the bronze casting of Houdon ' s statue of Wash- ington became the first statue to be erected at the Institute. As V. M. I. faced the turbulent Sixties, the southern facade of Barracks, in which no major changes have been made, fronted by Washing- ton ' s statue surrounded by an iron railing, looked down a gentle slope to the valley pike, while the enlarged parade ground to the west was flanked by three buildings housing the superintendent and other officers. Two of these and the mess hall had castellated towers and regular lines similar to those of the Barracks, giving an appearance of unity to the campus, which was then beyond the outskirts of Lexington. liOH » 4 -