Historic chemistry lab with links to Thomas Jefferson discovered behind wall!
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (PNN) - October 18, 2015 - A hidden chemistry lab was unearthed by a worker doing renovations to the iconic Rotunda at the University of Virginia, and school officials say the room is directly linked to the third U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, who helped design the building.
The "chemical hearth," which dates back to the 1820s, is thought to be one of the few remaining in the world. It featured two sources of heat for conducting experiments, and a system for pulling out fumes.
According to the University of Virginia press release, the room, described as "a semi-circular niche in the north end of the Lower East Oval Room," was preserved because the walls of the hearth were sealed shut in the mid-1800s.
According to the university's press release, Jefferson, who was the school's founder, collaborated with the university's first professor of natural history, John Emmet, to equip the space.
