Swain, David L. (David Lowry), 1801-1868
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Chapel
Hill, 27 Jan. 1858
My dear Sir,
Capt. Berry was here
yesterday and from him I learned that you are at present in
Raleigh. If the college were fully
organized I would be strongly tempted to visit
Raleigh on Saturday in order to have
an interview with you and
Judge Battle
.
Prof Martin
is expected in a day or two and if
he comes, I will probably be able to go down on Saturday week, if I shall learn
in the mean that you will be there.
Capt. Berry will be
disposed to undertake the enlargement of
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the Chapel
as superintendent if he succeeds in contracting for the new edifices but not
without
Mr. Percival, a
letter from whom I send herewith, thinks that the enlargement of the Chapel can
be as well done by contract as in any other way & recommends the
offering of all our work to the lowest responsible bidder.
I suppose
Mr. Percival is
at present in
Raleigh, and if so, I wish you and
Judge Battle
to have an interview with him
ascertain his views and when he will be ready to report plans, &c. There
has not been for several years so favorable an opportunity to secure competent
& responsible contractors on as good terms as at present, and I am
anxious
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to have our work offered to bidders, at
the earliest day practicable.
I am well satisfied that the scheme we have agreed upon is the best that can be
devised.
Mr.
Kimberly
thinks that by simply removing the lath & plaster
partitions which divide the first floor under the Philanthropic Hall into
dormitories, and throwing the whole space 36X36 in the clear, & opening
a trap door into the basement, we can have one of the best arranged laboratories
in the
U.S. The
Hall itself, without any change, will make an admirable lecture room, and the
library is exactly what is needed for a mineralogical cabinet.
The dormitories under the Dialectic Hall may remain as they are. The Hall itself
may be used as a
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Philosophical Chamber, or the
President's Lecture Room, and the Library appropriated to the collections of the
Historical Society of the
University.
Mr. Percival thinks
& the Faculty concur with him in opinion that convenience, and
appearances will be improved, by placing the new edifices in a parallel range
with the Library and the Chapel instead of ranging with the
East
and
west
thus