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The source of Maxwell\u2019s fortune remains a mystery to many. Born in 1780, in Salisbury, NC, he entered the business field as a planter and cotton trader in Charleston, SC. Some suspect that he entered the slave trade and prospered from this enterprise. Even though he did purchase his own slaves, he also freed about 150, providing them with supplies and money to lead them to freedom (Chambers\u2019 Gift, 3).<\/p>\n
It was Davidson College that received his largest financial gift. Chambers was a member of the building committee of the Concord Presbytery, which, in 1836, directed construction of the Old Campus. When he died on February 7, 1855, he left $260,000 to the college. This became the largest sum of money ever given to an ante-bellum southern college (3).<\/p>\n
This generous gift from Mr. Chambers did, however, bring controversy. Davidson\u2019s 1838 legislative charter limited the college to possessing no more than $200,000. The college appeared before the Superior Court of Rowan County in May 1856 and twice before the Supreme Court of North Carolina to explore whether the charter would prevent the college from receiving the funds. Davidson lost the ruling, and the money was given to Maxwell\u2019s next of kin: Judge D.F. Caldwell. Soon after, Davidson College revoked its old charter, changing it by allowing the college to possess no more than $500,000. After much negotiation, Mr. Caldwell agreed to return all claims to the legacy back to the college, in exchange for $41,000 and 160 acres of land.<\/p>\n
Many claimed that the college would have fallen apart if had not been for the gift from Maxwell Chambers. In 1857, Davidson College hired Alexander Jackson Davis from New York as the architect for the building. At the time, he was known as one of the most talented architects in the nation. The cornerstone was laid in 1858 and the building completed in 1860, with commencement following that summer. It cost the college $81,000 to build. It contained 72 sleeping rooms, 5 classrooms, dormitories for 1,000 students, 3 laboratories, a commencement hall (80 sq.ft), and a chapel (Old Chambers Building).<\/p>\n
It had very little ornament on its exterior, yet was a resemblance of the distinctive Southern architecture. The nearest railway was 29 miles away, making it extremely difficult to transport building materials to the site. The brick for the building was made using local clay. After it was completed in 1860, it was considered one of the finest academic buildings of the South (Burnett 13).<\/p>\n
Chambers\u2019 most noticeable features were its Tuscan columns which stood at 45 ft high each with a diameter greater than 6ft (Burnett, 12-13). After over two years of construction, its first classes were held on January 6th, 1860.<\/p>\n
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