Rotunda renovation reveals Jefferson-era chemistry lab

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Archaeologists at the University of Virginia have found a Thomas Jefferson-era chemistry classroom.

"This may be the oldest intact example of early chemical education in this country," Brian Hogg, a historic preservation planner at the university, said in a statement.

The classroom and lab was discovered during a renovation of Virginia's famed Rotunda building. The small room, which had been boarded up since at least the 1840s, features work benches, stone work surfaces, a chemical hearth and two fireboxes -- fed by air ducts and used to burn coal and wood for heat-induced chemical reactions.

"Back then, the different experiments would get different levels of heat from different sources," explained Jody Lahendro, a historic preservation architect supervising the renovation work.

The small alcove also features an antique ventilation system with flues that would have helped vacate fumes.

Historians believe the classroom was likely built by John Emmet, who Jefferson hired as Virginia's first professor of natural history. During his time at the university, Emmet taught medicine, zoology, mineralogy, geology and chemistry. He also helped Jefferson construct the school's botanical gardens.

His tenure was also marked by the publication of several significant scientific papers, securing a Emmet's reputation as a great teacher and sharp scientific mind.

The Rotunda's renovation is expected to be completed in 2016. When it reopens to the public, the hearth and alcove will remain on public display.

"The hearth is significant as something of the University's early academic years," said Mark Kutney, an architectural conservator at the university. "The original arch above the opening will have to be reconstructed, but we hope to present the remainder of the hearth as essentially unrestored, preserving its evidence of use."