The country around was such as was usual in the uplands of South-side Virginia, fairly productive of tobacco and grain. Petersburg was the nearest town of much size. To this town, about seventy miles away, much of the products of the country was wagoned over a dirt road, indifferently good in some seasons and almost impassible in others. The people around the College were kind and hospitable, representative of old Virginia in those days, not Methodist particularly in their persuasion; the more wealthy inclined to the Episcopal Church. There was an old Methodist Church in Boydton, but after the College was built the chapel became the worshipping place for the Methodists of the community. The Preparatory School, a building containing two school-rooms, stood about a mile away from the College. The "Steward's Hall," a two-story brick building, fronted the College building on the north, intended to afford board for the students. In "old Virginia" style, this was several hundred yards distant from the College building. The President's house stood about the same distance away. It was a plain brick building of one story. To the south and southwest other professors' houses were located, all with a sufficiency of land for gardens and lawns. "The Hotel" was built soon after the College was opened, about a quarter of a mile to the south, on the Clarksville road. This had about a dozen rooms in it, and was intended mainly for the boys at the Preparatory School and to accommodate visitors. It will be seen that the Building Committee had much to do before suitable accommodations could be provided for the professors and students. That many mistakes were made in this work, and in the location of the buildings and other matters, was not to be wondered at. They were the result of inexperience in the men in charge, not of any want of good intention and effort on their part. When it is considered that all the lumber for the buildings had to be sawed by the old-fashioned "pit-saw," and much of the other material had to be wagoned for seventy miles, we must not wonder that two years were consumed in bringing the buildings to partial completion. As the buildings stood when completed, they were as good as those of any other college in the State had, and possibly better. The University of Virginia, opened in 1825, had better and more extensive ones. The regular exercises of the College proper commenced on the day appointed, October 9th, 1832, Prof. M. P. Parks acting as President, in the absence of President Olin. If any account of the opening-day exercises were published it has not come down to us. The first schedule of expenses was as follows: