The McGuffey Ash tree was planted in the garden of Pavilion IX on the West Lawn in 1826, soon after the University opened for classes. Being hit by lightning in 1949 and several years of drought conditions helped to speed up the mighty tree's demise. Nevertheless, it grew to 103 feet in height and had a circumference of more than 18 feet. Its crown spread was 140 feet, reaching over the serpentine walls along Colonnade Alley near beds of spring and summer flowers such as iris, lilies, geraniums and phlox. The tree was cut down over Christmas break, December 1989. The tree was named for William Holmes McGuffey, who was known as the "Old Guff." Legend has it that Mr. McGuffey tested out ideas for the Eclectic Readers at children's parties held underneath the tree's generous branches.
Legend has it that William Holmes McGuffy, author of McGuffy's Eclectic Readers, gathered local children beneath a certain ash tree on the grounds of the University of Virginia. Under its spreading branches, he'd spin his tales.
The McGuffy Ash stood for almost 165 years. Last year (1994), the tree succumbed to old age, and it was taken down.
The university Arboretum Committee decided the tree should be given a second life as a piece of ceremonial furniture for Pavilion 7, where the cornerstone was laid by Thomas Jefferson himself.
David K. Ramazani, a furnituremaker in Charlotte, N.C., was humbled by the honor of being chosen to build the table. Only the choicest flitches were used. The focal point of the elliptical table is a portrait of the tree inlaid with 1/4-in.-thick black walnut. There are also inlaid ash leaves on the batten and the sculpted base.
The pedestal is made of four turned pillars, copied from the shape of the marble balusters in the rotunda of Pavilion 7. The table was sanded to 1,000-grit and given 24 coats of oil before being polished.
Ramazani writes, "I am a passionate woodworker, and this table is the culmination of all my years of study and practice. It represents the finest turnings, the finest inlay work, the most stable joinery, and the most excellent finish I am capable of producing. I have tried to embody the excellence of teaching extolled by Jefferson's university, and it is my hope that the table will be enjoyed by its faculty and students for a very long time."