Trees and Thomas Jefferson Statue Between Washington Hall and McGlothlin-Street Hall

The Hybrid Oak Rows

The trees lining the north-south axis between Washington Hall and McGlothlin-Street Hall are Hybrid Oaks (Quercus lyrata x virginiana). These rows beautifully frame the view formed by Blow and Barrett Halls, intersecting the east-west quadrangle of the Sunken Garden.

• Baldwin’s “Ten-Step Method”: Professor Baldwin planted these trees using a systematic approach—planting one tree, walking ten long steps, and then planting the next—to ensure perfect spacing and symmetry.

The Thomas Jefferson Statue

Dedicated on November 11, 1992, this statue was a gift from the University of Virginia.

• Symbolic Debt: At the dedication, UVA President John Casteen noted that the gift symbolically repaid a $17,000 debt Thomas Jefferson owed the College, which had contributed to its closure in the 1880s.
• Inspiration: The plaque features a quote from Jefferson on the power of education:

“I look to the diffusion of light and education as the resource most to be relied on for ameliorating the condition, promoting the virtue and advancing the happiness of man.”

A Legacy in Stone and Soil

Behind the statue, a plaque on the southwest stairs honors Professor Baldwin’s immense contributions. His vision transformed the William & Mary grounds into a living archive of woody plant species that continues to serve as a research and teaching tool today.

 

 

 

 

The trees lining the area between Washington Hall and McGlothlin-Street Hall are hybrid oaks (Quercus lyrata x virginiana), planted by Professor Baldwin following his “ten-step method”: plant a tree, walk ten long steps, then plant another. These two rows of oaks beautifully frame the north-south axis formed by Blow Hall and Barrett Hall, intersecting the east-west “quadrangle” of the Sunken Garden.

Nearby stands a statue of Thomas Jefferson, a generous gift from the University of Virginia. At its dedication on November 11, 1992, U.Va. President John Casteen acknowledged Jefferson’s $17,000 debt to the College—a debt that contributed to financial hardship and the College’s closure in the 1880s, and was never fully repaid. He expressed hope that the statue’s donation might symbolically forgive this debt. The dedication plaque features a quotation from Jefferson:
> “I look to the diffusion of light and education as the resource most to be relied on for ameliorating the condition, promoting the virtue and advancing the happiness of man.”

Behind the statue, the brick wall of the southwest stairs holds a plaque honoring Professor Baldwin’s many contributions. His vision helped transform the College’s campus into a living archive of woody plant species.