The Rotunda

 university, museum, place with historical importance, rotunda, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, historical building, U.S. National Historic Landmark

The Rotunda at The University of Virginia is located at latitude/longitude: N38° 01' 58" W78° 30' 14" – standing 77 feet (23.5 meters) in both height and diameter, is at one end of what Jefferson called his "Academical Village." Designed by Jefferson to represent the "authority of nature and power of reason" and inspired by the Pantheon, construction began in 1822 and was completed in 1826, after his death. The Grounds of the new university were unique in that they surrounded a library housed in the Rotunda rather than a church, as was common at peer universities in the English-speaking world. The original construction cost of the Rotunda was $57,773.

The original building was modified numerous times, and then almost completely destroyed in a fire in 1895. Only the exterior walls survived. The interior was rebuilt by celebrated architect Stanford White in a style vastly different from Jefferson's design, with an altered dome as well.

Finally, for the Bicentennial in 1976, White's interior was gutted and the entire building was rebuilt following Jefferson's original designs as closely as possible. Thus the vast majority of the building that tourists see today is only just over thirty years old.

Current plans call for the crumbling exterior to be restored and the interior to be largely rebuilt yet again over the next few years.