UVa Library FACT SHEET
FACT SHEET - Mary and David Harrison Institute for American History, Literature, and Culture and the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
Contacts:
Jeanne Hammer, coordinator of Library capital
projects, University Library, (434) 924-3246 / jmh@virginia.edu
Donald C. Riggin, Jr., senior project manager at Facilities
Management (434) 982-5912 / driggin@virginia.edu
Melissa Cox Norris, director of communications and
publications, University Library, (434) 924-4254 or
mln4n@virginia.edu
Construction Timeline:
December 2001
Construction contract awarded to Beers-Skanska,
Inc. of Richmond, Virginia
January 2002
Asbestos removed from Miller Hall.
February 2002
Contractor arrives and erects fence around construction
site. Access to Alderman Library and from Alderman
to Clemons will remain open. Access from Newcomb Hall
to Clemons Library will be blocked. The existing walkway
between the fence and Monroe Hall will link Newcomb
Hall to McCormick Road, which leads to both Alderman
and Clemons libraries.
February-April 2002
Contractor readjusts and redirects utilities for Alderman
and Clemons libraries.
May-June 2002
Miller Hall demolished.
June-November 2002
Excavate a 160'x180'x35' hole removing 40,000 cubic
yards of dirt to accommodate the construction of the
72,700-square-foot facility, 80% of which will be
underground. It will take over 4,000 dump trucks to
remove the dirt.
November 2002
Concrete foundation under-slab poured 3' thick.
December 2002-January 2004
Construct building.
February 2004
Building substantially complete.
Fire Marshall inspection and granting of certificate
of occupancy.
March 2004
Take occupancy of building.
Miller Hall:
-- Miller Hall, named after wealthy Lynchburg merchant
Samuel Miller, was built in 1868 and served as the
chemisty laboratory.
-- The current Miller Hall was reconstructed in 1920
after a fire in 1917 that severely damaged the original
building. It housed the biology department and included
a second story not present in the original building.
-- After another renovation, it became the Peabody
Annex and finally the Office of Admissions.
-- In a 1998 report on Miller Hall prepared for the
University, architects write that the 1920 reconstructed
building differs greatly from the original building.
Later changes such as tile ceilings, vinyl flooring,
and the installation of window air-conditioning units
contributed further to the building's reconfiguration
from its original form.
-- Because of numerous building code deficiencies
such as 'dead-end' corridors, an open stair to the
second level, only one exit, no sprinkler system,
no elevator, etc. it was determined by University
officials that it would not be practical nor economical
to attempt to renovate Miller Hall.
-- For more on Miller Hall, read "Out
with the Old, in with the New" by Jonathan
Miller, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Notes:
-- Construction noise and obstacles will be minimized
during such times as graduation, exams, Parents Weekend,
etc.
-- Six trees will be removed in the construction:
2 oaks in front of Miller Hall, 1 ash between Miller
Hall and Alderman Library, and 3 ashes along Alderman's
sidewalk.
Building Highlights:
The
new facility will provide a comfortable and stimulating
environment for the housing, showcasing, and researching
of the University's world-renowned collection of rare
books, manuscripts, and the University archives. The
new facility will provide climate-controlled space
for up to 70,000 linear feet of shelving, allowing
for decades of growth and the elimination of crowding
in Alderman Library. It will incorporate the evolving
information technologies and provide space for research,
teaching, and first-rate exhibits. The facility's
architecture reflects the grace of Thomas Jefferson-designed
buildings nearby and accents the dignity of Alderman
Library.
Mary and David Harrison Institute for American History,
Literature, and Culture
-- The spacious exhibition gallery on the entry level
will highlight select portions of the University's
world-renowned collection of rare books and manuscripts
around themes that will attract and interest students
and the general public.
-- In addition to the exhibition gallery, there will
be a room devoted to archaeological discoveries at
Flowerdew Hundred, a microcosm of Virginia history
from before the Colonists through the Civil War.
-- The top level will house new seminar and private
study rooms. These spaces provide vital meeting, conference,
and research suites for University students, faculty,
and visiting scholars.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
-- Downstairs, a permanent exhibit room will house
documents related to the Declaration of Independence
and its signers, including one of 25 known remaining
copies of the famous Dunlap printing.
-- A new auditorium on this level will provide an
essential multipurpose space to host conferences,
sponsor University functions, or to host lectures
by University and visiting scholars.
-- Also on this level, staff in the new Reference
Room will assist researchers and retrieve rare books
and manuscripts for use in the Main Reading Room.
The Treasure Room will highlight the library's most
valuable and prominent rare books and manuscripts
and provide an opportunity for intimate viewing of
these materials by small groups.
-- Vaulted ceilings and skylights will cap the Reference
and Main Reading Room, creating an inspiring setting
for study.
-- The bottom floor will house the University's distinguished
collections of nearly 300,000 rare books and 12 million
manuscripts, which chronicle the American experience
and imagination from the discovery of the New World
to modern times.
For more information, visit www.lib.virginia.edu/speccol/newlib/
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