Thomas Jefferson's design for the University of Virginia is widely hailed as a masterpiece. It is his greatest architectural accomplishment, the summation of his quest for intellectual freedom. The story of the University encompasses the political and architectural worlds as Jefferson struggled against great opposition to establish a new type of educational institution.

Thomas Jefferson's Academical Village: The Creation of an Architectural Masterpiece is the first comprehensive look at Jefferson's design for the University, at how it came into being, at the different perceptions of its successes and failures, at the alterations that have taken place, and at its ongoing restoration.