ON MY OWN

Memories of that year in Gildersleeve are still pleasant. Independence came easily to me, but, despite being in my adolescent rebellious period, I was careful not to abuse it.

We did experiment with alcoholic beverages and I acquired my first pipe (which I have to this day) to smoke. Some students of course overdid the drinking and their new found freedom.

Although beer could be purchased in eating establishments and grocery stores, in Virginia other alcoholic beverages were sold only in the state operated ABC stores. The legal age to purchase from the store was 18. However, that did not stop us. Once, after buying a bottle I discovered that I was a few cents short. The clerk did not wish to put the bottle back and said, “do not bother, someone else had forgotten his change so I can put the money in the register”. There are probably only a rare few under aged persons who received a discount from a state operated store.

First year students without physical disabilities could not have cars. Charlottesville was a very isolated community despite being a transportation hub with two railroad lines and a hub for intercity bus routes. Without wheels the absence of nearby girl's schools limited possible contact with the opposite sex to the town girls, student nurses (an unknown quantity to freshmen), and the minuscule number of co-eds.

Fortunately, there were two of the residents in Gildersleeve with physical disability; one suffered from severe residual muscle weakness from polio and had a great difficulty walking. He had an old Studebaker touring, car, a four door with a removable soft roof and side curtains. Occasionally we would go over the Mountains which included in those days the steep zigzag climb across Afton Mountain on the way to Staunton where Mary Baldwin College and Stuart Hall girls’ schools were located. Unfortunately, we never were successful in our expeditions because we lacked the proper skills.

The other student also a polio victim, but less disabled, owned a Model A Ford roadster with a rumble seat. Once late winter we went to Lexington and then over the mountain to Buena Vista the location of Southern Seminary, an all girls finishing school including two years of college. On the way, back it was very cold. I and another student froze in the rumble seat. All these expeditions yielded no female companion-ship.

Despite never becoming a good dancer, on Saturday nights, especially during my second year, we would go to the Frye Springs Studio, a popular roadhouse just outside Charlottesville. There we would try to dance with unattached girls, who came from either the town or the nearby countryside to meet the college boys.

Non scholastic life would change drastically for the better the next year when I move into Randall Hall. To be continued of course if anyone is slightly interested.

The Lawn with the Rotunda at the upper end

A Pavilion on the Lawn, one of Jefferson's original buildings was used for the Professor's residence and also for his class rooms. Still used.

Randall Hall :This was a "flipped L" shaped building and the other entrance to the left facing the East Range. This road was a service road that ran between the East Lawn and Range and is sweeping down to the right to join the road that ran across the grounds between the East Range and the Hospital campus.