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History and science collided at the University of Virginia on Friday, when the school announced the discovery of a hidden chemistry lab amid ongoing renovations of its historic Rotunda building.
The room offers a glimpse into the way science was taught in the mid-19th century, as well as to the role of Thomas Jefferson – who founded the university in 1819 – in facilitating the shift from religion to science as a central principle of higher education in the United States.
"It really is the beginning of the teaching of science" as fundamental, said Jody Lahendro, a supervisory historic preservation architect for UVA. "The Enlightenment, changing the viewpoint of the world."
[...] "This may be the oldest intact example of early chemical education in this country," said Brian Hogg, senior historic preservation planner in the Office of the Architect for the University.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Adamsjas on Thursday October 22 2015, @04:58AM
Not nearly as much as the story would like to have you believe.
They built a lab in the only place they had, and outgrew it fairly quickly, and decided to brick it over in the first remodel.
It wasn't much of a lab, even by standards of the day, but it was probably fairly advanced for that part of the world at the time.
A chemistry hearth?