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PATRIOT DOG |
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 The Rotunda is the Academical Village's center of activity. © David Muenker |
Sonya scampered up the school's huge, rectangular lawn. Jefferson called the school the Academical Village. Both the faculty and the students lived on the school grounds.
The Rotunda, a grand building with tall columns and a dome top, stood at the end of the lawn.
"That's where the tour starts," Jimmy reminded Sonya.
On each side of the lawn there were five brick houses called pavilions. Classrooms filled the first floors and professors lived on the second floors.
A row of one-story buildings with covered walkways connected the houses. They held the students' rooms.
Sonya stuck her head through an open door.
 Pavilions and student rooms in the Academical Village. © David Muenker |
"Sure." Sonya inched inside.
"It's cozy," the student said. "I have a fireplace, ceiling fan, bookshelves, desk, bed and closet. I even have a sink."
Sonya sniffed around. "Where's the bathroom?"
"In a building on the other side of the lawn."
"So you have a doggie door, too!"
"Ha, ha!" the student laughed. "I never thought of my door that way before."
"Thanks for showing me your room."
 Life-size statue of Thomas Jefferson © David Muenker |
Sonya and Jimmy joined a tour of the Rotunda , the center of activity in Jefferson's Academical Village.
"Mr. Jefferson founded the University of Virginia," the guide said. "And he designed the Rotunda and other buildings of the Academical Village."
They entered a beautiful room. "All of the rooms are oval, except for the Dome Room, which is round," the guide pointed out. "There are no corners."
"Wow. No corners — no time outs!" Jimmy clapped his hands.
A marble statue of Thomas Jefferson stood in the hallway. "It's the same height as Mr. Jefferson — 6 feet 2 inches tall." Sonya craned her neck to see his face.
"Notice that he's wearing riding clothes. Riding horseback was the fastest way to travel in those days. He also wore a scarf around his neck to protect it from the red dust."
One of the oval rooms held a large bronze bell. "They rang the bell to wake up the students and call them to class."
 Napping in the Dome Room © Ravay Snow 2006 |
Next, they climbed single file up a narrow staircase to the Dome Room. "Mr. Jefferson didn't like to waste space with stairs," the guide explained. "That's why they are so narrow."
They entered the sun-filled Dome Room, the original library. "See all the bookcases? They are laid out like spokes of a wheel," the guide said. "Mr. Jefferson also liked to hold special dinners here. Come stand here in the center where the table would have been."
Sonya and the other visitors did as instructed. "Look again at the room. Do you see the bookshelves now?" The room's tall columns hid them from view.
"Let's have some fun," the guide added. "Little doggie, please stand way over there by the window." Sonya moved to where the guide pointed. "And young man, go to the other side of the room and whisper something about Thomas Jefferson. I don't want anyone to hear you."
Sonya's ears pricked up. "I heard him! He said Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States."
"How could you hear me? I whispered!" the boy cried.
"That's the special secret of this room. There are no secrets. We call it the Whispering Gallery. Whatever you say can be heard on the other side of the room."
"By the way, Mr. Jefferson was also Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State and the founder of this university," the guide added. "That concludes our tour. You're welcome to look around. You can pick up the Jefferson Facts Treasure Hunt questions on your way out."
"First I need to soak in all these facts," Sonya thought. She spotted a sunny place on the wood floor and stretched out. Within moments, dreams of Thomas Jefferson riding tall on his horse galloped in her head.
To be continued…
Start gathering your facts now! Hint: Click on the underlined words for more information
To see the three questions for Episode 2, click here.
In the next issue, Sonya returns to Monticello for more clues for the birthday party invitation.
Note: This story is fiction based on fact.
Go to Sonya's Picks for links to websites about Thomas Jefferson, Monticello and the University of Virginia Academical Village.
Test your understanding of words used in this story with the Word Match game.
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Photographs ©2005-2010 David Muenker. Text ©2005-2010 Rose Muenker. Illustrations ©2005-2010 Ravay Snow Any use without express written permission is illegal and punishable by law. All rights reserved. Site designed and developed by Josh Bergman. |
