Gildersleeve Portal; Dormitory building dedicated to Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve

Item

Legacies Classification
Memorial Structure
Memorial Type
Named Building
Memorial Context
Lost Cause
Memorialized Subject
Gildersleeve, Basil Lanneau
Title
Gildersleeve Portal; Dormitory building dedicated to Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve
Background and Context
Gildersleeve Portal is one of the dormitories in UVA’s Brown Residential College. The building is named after Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, a distinguished classical scholar and UVA graduate. Gildersleeve was a pioneering figure in American classical studies, making significant contributions to Greek and Latin scholarship.

While Gildersleeve was a celebrated professor and scholar, he was also an unapologetic Confederate and outspoken advocate for slavery and white supremacy. In 1863-1864, he wrote over sixty editorials for Richmond newspapers, all defending the Confederacy and slavery. In “Miscegenation (missa-janay-shun),” he railed against interracial sex and families, claiming the white race in North America was superior and pure, and should stay that way. In “Sambo and the Ass,” he mocked Black Americans and dismissed their calls for citizenship rights.

After the Civil War, Gildersleeve promoted the Lost Cause. His book The Creed of the Old South (1915) romanticized the pre-Civil War South and defended the Confederacy as a noble cause. Naming a building after Gildersleeve perpetuates UVA’s historical connection to white supremacy and slavery. The legacy of figures like Gildersleeve serves as a reminder of how the university once honored those who upheld the values of the Confederacy, and how this legacy continues to influence its identity today.
Physical Description
Gildersleeve Portal is four stories tall, with a basement level. It is made of redbrick, stone, and concrete, with glass windows for each dormitory unit. The hall is interconnected to Harrison House, and neighbors Venable House. Surrounding the building are concrete sidewalks with green spaces containing picnic tables and seating.
Creator/Participating Person(s)
Gildersleeve, Basil Lanneau
University of Virginia
Date created, installed or dedicated
1928
Historical Period
1890-1945: Era of the Lost Cause, Jim Crow legal segregation and discrimination, and organized anti-Black racism
Funded by
University of Virginia
Location: Institution, City, State
University of Virginia; Charlottesville, Virginia
Wikidata
Basil L. Gildersleeve wikidata
Learn More About this Subject
Brown College at Monroe Hill History
Basil L. Gildersleeve biography

Position: 1893 (43 views)