Egyptian Building

In 1844, the forerunner of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine secured its spot on Academy Square with the opening of a new building designed in the Egyptian Revival style. In this facility, Charles Bell Gibson pioneered the use of anesthesia in Virginia, Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard conducted groundbreaking work in physiology, Chris Baker prepared cadavers for dissection, Clarence Darrow spoke of his experiences during the Scopes Trail, and Baruj Benecerraf, a future Nobel laureate, learned medicine.