Mormon History, Dec 3, 1849

[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 3d Note It still storms. The papers are full of murders from all parts of the Country And Congress is A political hot bed of Corruption And there is danger of its exploding the union. I went out in the rain & visited Jerard College.
+ Jerard College is one of the most splendid buildings I ever visited. The general design of the building is that of A Greek Temple having eight Columns on each end and Eleven on each side (Counting the Cornor Columns both ways) making in all thirty four Colums. x x The Columns are 6 feet in diameter 55 feet in higth. The bases are 9 feet 3 inch in diameter & 3 feet 2 inch high & the Capitals 8 feet 6 inch high, 9 feet 4 inch wide on the face of the abacus. Each shaft is Channelled in 24 semicircular flutes.
The nett amount of marble in each Column including the base And Capital is 1,346 cubic feet the weight 103 tons & the Cost $12,994. Total Cost of the 34 Colums $51,976.
The exterior of the Cella or body of the building measures 111 feet wide 169 feet long & 59 feet 8 inches high. The whole of the Exterior of the building is Composed of marble of A vary superior quality. x x Evry block of marble in the building is set on peaces of milled lead.
The roof is Composed of marble tiles 4 1/2 feet long 4 feet wide 2 3/4 inch thick. Each tile is 776 lbs & each saddle 214 lbs the whole Number of the tiles in the roof being 2,046 and of saddles 2,061. The aggragate wait of the tiles & saddles is 906 tons. Marble Chimney tops And the cast Iron Sky lights Also weigh 20 tons And the lead & masonery of the gutters 43 1/2 tons making the entire weight of the roof 969 1/2 tons.
The building is three stories in highth. The first & second stories are 25 feet from floor to floor & the third 30 feet in the clear. Each story is divided as directed by the Will into four rooms 50 feet square in the clear. The outside walls are 4 feet in thickness the inside 3 feet. Each arch including all abutments contains 117,000 brick which together with the marble floor on top makes the weight suspended over each room about 350 tons.
The stairways are situated in the fore corners of the building the spaces Allotted to them being each 22 feet 6 inch wide & 26 feet 6 inch long. They are all Composed of white marble And are 5 feet 3 inch in width with two landings or quarter p[ace?]s in each story. The plan on which they are Constructed is that of Geometrical stairs having one end of each step secured in the wall & one edge resting on the step below. All the stair ways as well as the landings in the upper stories are finished with rich balustrades of cast Iron & mahogany rails springing from many marble Newels. The Cost of these stairways including the balustrades was $18,500. The following are the material used in the Construction of the main building: ...
Cost of the whole esstablishment $1,933,821.78
An extract of Stephen Gerard's will
"Secondly I enjoin and require that No ecclesiastic missionary or minister of any sect whatsoever shall ever hold or exercise any station or duty whatever in the said College: nor shall any such person ever be admitted for any purpose or as a visitor within the premises appropriated to the purposes of the said College.
Copy of my ticket
Strangers ticket. Admit Mr Woodruff to visit the main building of the Gerard College. Jas J. Boswell directer Nov 28 '49.
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[source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

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